Introduction/Abstract and Thesis Statement Operation Compass was a campaign during World War II (1939–1945). It was the first significant British military operation. Through this operation, the British Empire and Commonwealth attacked the Italian forces of the 10th Army in North Africa. During this campaign, the Italians lost around 3,000 soldiers killed and 130,000 captured, as well as approximately 400 tanks and 1292 artillery pieces, a crushing defeat for the Italians (Hickman, March 6, 2017). The British Operation Compass offensive was so successful that it nearly wiped out the Italian 10th Army in North Africa. Therefore, Hitler feared the worst: preventing the British from taking over North Africa (Chen, November 2010). He decided to help the Italian army defeat the British and the Commonwealth, which was an attempt to reverse the unfavorable situation. On February 6, 1941, the German High Command ordered Operation Sonnenblume. The operation took place between February and May 1941. The outcome of this operation was successful because of General Erwin Rommel, the commander who turned the tide when he exercised the principles of mission command. …show more content…
He joined the German army as an infantry officer, in which he fought on the western front, mainly in France and Italy, during World War I. He got promoted to Captain after a successful strike at the Battle of Caporetto and the capture of Longorone. Due to his success in World War I, becoming an excellent instructor at the Dresden Infantry School in 1935, and being assigned as the War Ministry liaison officer to the Youth in 1937, Hitler commanded him to take charge of his escort battalion, which he continued to do throughout the invasion of Poland in 1939 (Chen, September 2010). He was selected to command the new force in North Africa due to his ability to adapt to unique circumstances. Hitler had confidence in Rommel’s ability to perform this operation