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The North African Campaign included the Western Desert Campaign (Libya and Egypt), Operation Torch (Morocco and Algeria), and the Tunisia Campaign. The Allied war effort was dominated by the British Commonwealth. The US began direct military assistance in North Africa, on 11 May 1942.

Fighting started with the Italian declaration of war on 10 June 1940. A back-and-forth series of battles for control of Libya and parts of Egypt followed, climaxing in the Second Battle of El Alamein when British forces under the command of Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, delivered a decisive defeat to the Axis forces, pushing the Axis forces back to Tunisia; and with the help of the Allies, forced their surrender.

By making the Axis powers fight on a second front, the Allies provided some relief to the Soviet Union fighting the Axis on the Eastern Front. Information learned from the British Ultra code breaking operation was a major contributor to Allied success in Africa.