Britain's focus on North Africa followed the geography of a global war. If Axis forces controlled both shores of the Mediterranean, they could obstruct the sea route connecting Britain with the Middle East and Far East. Recovering control shortened and protected the movement of supplies needed beyond Europe. The campaign was a regional struggle and an effort to restore a line of communication linking several theatres of British strategy.
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Why North Africa mattered to Britain's Far Eastern supply line
Removing Axis control from North Africa helped reopen the shorter Mediterranean route that connected Britain's European war with its commitments in the Far East.