British Military Administration (Libya) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British Military Administration of Libya Amministrazione Militare Britannica della Libia  (Italian) الإدارة البريطانية العسكرية في ليبia  (Arabic)
1942–1951
Flag
Map of the allied occupation of Libya showing Tripolitania and Cyrenaica
Status	British Military Administration (1943–1950) British Civil Administration (1950–1951)
Capital	Tripoli
Common languages	English, (Official) Italian, Arabic
Chief Administrator (Tripolitania)
• 1943-1951	Travers Blackley
Chief Administrator (Cyrenaica)
• 1942–1945	Duncan Cumming
• 1945–1946	Peter Acland
• 1946–1948	James Haugh
• 1948 (acting)	Arthur Parker
• 1948–1949	Eric de Candole
History
• Allied occupation of Libya	13 May 1943
• Italy relinquishes Libya	10 February 1947
• Emirate of Cyrenaica created	1 March 1949
• UN administration	10 December 1949
• Joined Cyrenaica and Fezzan-Ghadames to form the Kingdom of Libya (with autonomy)	24 December 1951
• Autonomy ended	27 April 1963
Currency	Military Authority Lira (Tripolitania) Egyptian pound (Cyrenaica)
Preceded by Succeeded by Italian Libya 1949: Emirate of Cyrenaica 1951: Kingdom of Libya
Today part of	Libya

The British Military Administration of Libya was a period when the British controlled parts of Libya. This happened after World War II, from 1943 until Libya became an independent country in 1951. It was part of a larger plan by the Allies to manage Libya after the war.

History of British Control

British tanks and crews line up on Tripoli's waterfront after capturing the city during World War II in December 1942.

During World War II, the Allied forces fought in North Africa. In November 1942, they took back the region of Cyrenaica in Libya. By February 1943, all German and Italian soldiers had left Libya. This marked the start of the Allied occupation.

The British took control of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Meanwhile, the French managed the Fezzan region. In 1944, a Libyan leader named Idris returned from Cairo. He waited until 1947 to fully return to Cyrenaica. This was after some foreign control was removed.

Tripolitania 10-lire stamp from 1950. It shows the face of King George VI.

After the war, Italy had to give up its claims to Libya. This was part of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies. Italy had hoped to keep Tripolitania, and France wanted Fezzan. But in the end, Libya stayed united.

After the war, some difficult events happened in Tripolitania. In November 1945, some people faced violence. Again in June 1948, more violence occurred. These events caused many Jewish people to feel unsafe. Because of this, and the creation of Israel, many Libyan Jews decided to leave. Between 1948 and 1951, over 30,000 Libyan Jews moved to Israel. By the 1970s, most of the remaining Jewish community moved to Italy.

The future of Italy's former colonies was a big question. At the Potsdam Conference in 1945, the Allies (Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States) agreed. They decided that Italy should not get its colonies back. They discussed different ideas for Libya. The United States suggested that the United Nations (UN) should manage Libya. This would help Libya prepare for self-rule.

The Soviet Union wanted to divide Libya into separate areas. They suggested that each area would be managed by a different country. France wanted to give the territory back to Italy. To solve this problem, Britain finally suggested that Libya should become independent right away.

In 1949, the Emirate of Cyrenaica was formed. This meant that only Tripolitania was still under direct British military rule. A year later, in 1950, Tripolitania changed from military to civil administration. Idris as-Senussi, who was the Emir of Cyrenaica, helped in the UN talks. On December 24, 1951, Libya officially declared its independence.

Libya's Independence

In 1951, representatives from Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan decided to join together. They formed a new country called the United Kingdom of Libya. Idris was offered the crown and became the first king.

The new country had a federal government. This meant that the three states of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan had some autonomy (self-rule). The kingdom also had three capital cities: Tripoli, Benghazi, and Bayda.

Two years after gaining independence, on March 28, 1953, Libya joined the Arab League. When Libya became independent, it was a very important moment. It was the first country to gain independence with the help of the United Nations. It was also one of the first former European colonies in Africa to become independent.

See also

• Italian Libya
• Allied occupation of Libya