France Overseas: What If They Fought On? On 16 June 1940, as the Germans advanced into France, Gen. Phillipe Petain said the “unity and preservation of France” demanded an armistice before the army was destroyed. Premier Paul Renaud refused, but the cabinet rejected his call to continue the war from North Africa by a vote of 13 to 6. In that way, one of the most significant strategic decisions made among the Allies during the first half of the war was decided by four votes.

Articles

• The Battle of the Mius River, 1943 As the Battle of Kursk was ending in mid-July 1943, another big clash of armored forces was taking place farther south. That was at the Mius River and—though it concluded in a German tactical victory—it proved to be a Soviet operational success.
• The Bougainville Campaign The Bougainville campaign was pivotal regarding the course of the advance in the Southwest Pacific Theater. American naval, ground and air forces had to overcome determined Japanese resistance while securing a base for future operations against Rabaul.
• The Desert Air Force From 1 to 3 July 1942, a hastily regrouped British force brought Panzer Army Africa to a halt in a series of engagements later known as the First Battle of El Alamein. The victory was a narrow one, and all during it the Desert Air Force (DAF) maintained pressure on the attacking Axis units. In his after-action report, British commander Gen. Claude Auchinleck rated the DAF’s contribution to the battle’s outcome as “decisive.”