Africa
1940–1941: The East African campaign
June 1940 – November 1941 · 3 battles
When Italy entered the war, its empire in East Africa, made up of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, was cut off from the mother country but had a large army at its disposal. In the summer of 1940 the Italians occupied border towns in the Sudan and Kenya, and in August British Somaliland. From early 1941 British, Indian, South African and African troops and Free French units, supported by Ethiopian partisans, attacked from several directions. After the Battle of Keren and the surrender of the Duke of Aosta at Amba Alagi, Emperor Haile Selassie returned to Addis Ababa, and the last Italian garrison, at Gondar, surrendered in November 1941.
- 10 June 1940 – 27 November 1941East African CampaignFrom June 1940 to November 1941 British Empire troops and Ethiopian patriots destroyed Italian East Africa. Haile Selassie returned to his throne.
- 3–19 August 1940Italian invasion of British SomalilandBetween 3 and 19 August 1940 Italian forces overran British Somaliland. After the battle of Tug Argan the British evacuated some 7,000 men from Berbera to Aden.
- 3 February – 1 April 1941Key battleBattle of Keren3 February – 1 April 1941. After eight weeks of mountain fighting at Keren, Platt’s two Indian divisions broke Italy’s defence of Eritrea; Asmara fell.