Losing a war of attrition: realities and perceptions of Axis defeat in the Mediterranean war (1940–3)

Abstract

This article presents a new interpretation of the Mediterranean war (1940–3), demonstrating that it was a war of attrition. Historians have tended to present it as a ‘see-saw’ conflict where ascendancy was frequently traded, before the outcome was determined by a ‘turning point’. By interrogating underused Axis source material, this article reveals that such views mask a story of continuity. The economically weaker Axis powers consistently proved unable to replace losses that systematically degraded their military capability. Despite numerous Axis military successes, their political and military leaders consistently, explicitly and rightly perceived themselves to be losing a war of attrition.