ȁDzǸ 3555.48:359:94 «1939/1945» MACIEJ FRANZ13 ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF WARFARE IN THE YEARS 1939-1945 The article examines the role and significance of the Mediterranean theater of war during World War II. This issue did not find appropriate elucidation in world historiography, in contradistinction to the history of the war on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Provided a retrospective review of the interests of Great Britain, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Yugoslavia and other countries in the region through the prism geopolitical importance of the Mediterranean basin. Strategic plans and actions of allies on the anti-Hitler coalition and states of Axis on the Mediterranean during the years 1939 – 1945, the position of their naval forces and aviation was analyzed. Significant attention paid to the combat actions of opponents for such objects as Malta, Suez Canal, Gibraltar and others like that. The author convinces that without the victory of the Allies in North Africa, occupation of the Mediterranean Sea and offensive on the Apennine Peninsula between 1944 and 1945 would have been impossible for their victory at the Western Front, also would be another course of battles on the Eastern Front. Keywords: aviation, navy, Gibraltar, World War II, Malta, the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal. The Second World War was carried out in all the waters surrounding all continents. Because of that, the conflict of 1939-1945 turned out to be a global event in its dimension. The military operations in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific definitely signed up in the historical memory [1]. Battle of the Atlantic perceived as a fear of German submarines trying to break up the lines of communication between the American continent and ports in the UK, has become, for many of the historians, the most important maritime war theater of World War (The best proof of this is one of the most famous studies in this respect, Clay Blair, see CC. Blair, Hitlerawojna u-bootów, cz. 1, MyĤliwi 1939-1942, Warszawa 1998, cz. 2, ģcigani 1942-1945, Warszawa 1999. 13ȂȞȎțȤǺȎȤȓȗ, ȒȜȘȠȜȞȑȎȏȳșȳȠȜȐȎțȖȗ, ȝȞȜȢȓȟȜȞ, ȁțȳȐȓȞȟȖȠȓȠȳȚȓțȳ ǮȒȎȚȎǺȳȤȘȓȐȖȥȎȐǽȜȕțȎțȳ (ǽȜșȪȟȪȘȎǾȓȟȝȡȏșȳȘȎ). © ȂȞȎțȤǺ., 2017 182 Perfectly it can also be seen on the example of the recently published book by Jonathan Dimbleby'a,Battle of the Atlantic.As the Allies won World War II, Warsaw 2017 that actually is dedicated to only the war against the German submarine fleet). It was commonly said that this was the longest, most important battle of the war, and the victory for the Allies was decisive for the ability not only to survive the offensive of the fascist countries but mainly to prepare and take offensive in Western Europe known in history as «Second Front». The Pacific War, for European historians, is less important as a side theater and definitely secondary to what was happening at the European theater of warfare. It was even emphasized when discussing the terms of subsequent meetings and conferences, not only the Great Trinity, but also bilateral Anglo-American arrangements. This is completely wrong look, lowering a huge commitment of US forces in another offensive in the Pacific (Vastness of American involvement in activities even at Iwo-Jima can be seen perfectly in the development E. Hammel, Iwo Jima, Warszawa 2009. It is worth mentioning that while American troops landed on this island, the offensive of Anglo-American and Allied forces in France and the Apennine was taking place. This also shows how great was the commitment of the United States during the Second World War). United States were able not only to support Britain or the Soviet Union in the war against the Third Reich (Without the support of the American or British, the victory of the Red Army would not have been possible. Still, during the Berlin assault, one of the Soviet Armored Guard Guards fought with only equipment acquired from the Allies under the «Land less act» agreement), but also to break the power of the Empire of Japan on their own. The Pacific War was much more complicated and definitely bloodier than the Atlantic. It shows very well for many years in major studies prepared by the American historians [2]. In the shade of these water areas and the warfare carried on them remains the Mediterranean Sea. It didn’t come by its proper recognition and appreciation of the role it has played during the Second World War [3]. For many historians, 183 the Mediterranean region is a minor operating theater, which has not played a decisive time in the five years of war [4]. Truly, the fighting was conducted here from September 1939 to the beginning of May 1945, but they are not seen as having a decisive impact on the course of the war.In the meantime, it was in the Mediterranean area that the interests of the Fascist and Allied states crossed over for months, and the most intense warfare was being conducted there. On September 3 1939 when the war Polish-German was joined by Britain and France, realizing their allied commitments (Mainly it was the result of an alliance concluded 25 August 1939 with Great Britain, France because, although the related treaty allies already in 1921, in 1939 to join the war no longer wanted. It was very popular in France in those days «N 'est pa mourir pour le Gdaęsk»). This meant that the conflict that had so far been a local war was becoming a world conflict. This was due to the geopolitical position of the Mediterranean and its crossing not only of political interests, but mainly of economic affairs. The main part of pre-war British trade routes was exactly passing through the Mediterranean waters, and it made these waters such an important and strategic reservoir.The geopolitical profile of the Mediterranean Sea was defined as the main marine bases of potential opponents who had already competed with each other during the period of peace in controlling these waters. It is the layout of these bases that determines the actions of all states that have access to the Mediterranean Sea. War accidents in 1939-1945 made up that the United Kingdom, France and Italy have become an important factors in this region. Definitely they have less significance Greece, Yugoslavia, Spain or even Turkey, although the last one significantly stabilized the eastern shores of the watershed, and was clearly separating from the waters of the Black Sea (After the First World War, a new secular Turkish government, led by Kemal Atat Turk, carried out the necessary reforms, but the Navy was still very weak. Turkey did not intend to make a mistake from the previous World War, and this time it was not drawn into war.Spain after the civil war 184 was very weakened, and despite the establishment of General Franco's government in favor of fascist states, the government of Francisco Franco also maintained neutrality in 1939-1945. Greece and Yugoslavia could play strategically important roles in the Mediterranean, but they were too economically and militarily too small to play this role.Eventually they became only the subject of a great game). It was important for the Mediterranean Sea to have control over the regions that connect this watercourse with other surrounding areas. From the west for centuries this role was played by Gibraltar, since the eighteenth century located in the hands of the UK (J.W. Gerard Peace of Utrecht. Historical Review of the great treaty from 1713 to 1714 and of the principal events of the war of the Spanish succession, New York-London 1885). This allowed not only to control all the forces entering the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic, but also to block any attempt of enemy ships trying to leave the Mediterranean Sea. During World War II, Gibraltar played a strategic role in the British fleet. Not only was it able to take over the French tasks, after the defeat of that country in June 1940, but also to block the Italian fleet. Only single submarines of the Italian Navy managed to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar and join the German forces fighting in the Atlantic (Italian submarines mainly operated from the base of Bordeaux, forming combat team «BETASOM ௅ XI Gruppo Sommergibili Atlantici». They operated from August 1940 to September 1943, when the Italian state surrendered to Allied forces. Actually, however, some Italian crews still decided to fight at the side of the Third Reich and, as part of the naval forces of the Italian Social Republic, Salo, continued to serve in the Atlantic). The possible departure of the Italian navy to ocean waters could have led to a complete change in the Atlantic war. The fact that such a risk has never been real was because of the British domination of Gibraltar. At the same time from this base they were sent warships to both actions pursuit against the «Bismarck» (Seeeven B.F. von Müllenheim-Rechberg, Pancernik «Bismarck», Gdaęsk 2000 and M. Skwiot, T. Prusinowska, Operacja Rheinubung. 185 Polowaniena Bismarcka, Gdaęsk 2004), support Atlantic convoys, while still running new convoys towards Malta, whose survival against the Italian-German offensive, fortunately for the Allies mainly air, was one of the most important tasks for the Royal Navy for long war months (Malta, which is now an independent state, was for many years one of the most important base for the British Navy. And this often came to a fight in her defense). The opening of the Suez Canal contributed to a sharp increase in the importance of the Mediterranean and caused that a substantial majority of the British transport routes from the Asian region, from that moment no longer went around Africa, but exactly by the canal and Mediterranean waters (Suez Canal was the result of work of the Anglo-French consortium.