Analyze why North Africa was a key location for the British to defend.(1 point)

Question

Responses

The Allies needed to protect the Cape of Good Hope from invasion.
The Allies needed to protect the Cape of Good Hope from invasion.

The Allies needed to maintain shipping lanes through Egypt.
The Allies needed to maintain shipping lanes through Egypt.

The Axis powers wanted to gain control of oil fields in Iraq.
The Axis powers wanted to gain control of oil fields in Iraq.

The Allies wanted to protect the cotton production in North Africa

Answer 1

The most relevant reason for why North Africa was a key location for the British to defend is that "The Allies needed to maintain shipping lanes through Egypt."

The Suez Canal, located in Egypt, served as a critical route for trade and military logistics between Europe and Asia. Control over this passage was vital for the British Empire, as it ensured the safe and efficient movement of troops, supplies, and resources, particularly to and from India and the Far East. In addition, North Africa was strategically important for countering Axis advances, securing communication lines, and preventing the Axis powers from threatening British colonial interests in the region.

Other options, while they touch on important aspects of the broader context, do not specifically highlight the urgency and significance of controlling shipping lanes as it pertained to British strategic interests in North Africa during World War II.