Their idea was that they would never allow any of the social and political abuses of the old world to grow up here. . . . There were to be no armies except a militia, which would have no functions but those of police. They would have no court and no pomp; no orders, or ribbons, or decorations, or titles.
~ OPERATION TORCH ~ NORTH AFRICA - 8th to 12th Nov 1942. Operation Torch was the invasion of west North Africa to prevent the Germans taking control of the territories occupied by the French, then under the control of the Vichy French Government. Torch was an American led operation under Eisenhower with substantial UK support. Background The Allies decided to occupy Vichy French controlled North Africa, thus denying the territory to the Axis forces.
The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had colonial interests in Africa dating from the late 19th century. The Allied war effort was dominated by the British Commonwealth and exiles from German-occupied Europe.The United States entered the war in 1941 and began direct military assistance in North Africa on 11 May 1942. Fighting in North Africa started with the Italian declaration of war on 10 June 1940.On 14 June, the British Army 's 11th Hussars (assisted by elements of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, 1st RTR) crossed the border from Egypt into Libya and captured the Italian Fort Capuzzo.or the campaign during the First World War, see North African operations during World War I. During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943.