Via della Vittoria facts for kids
The Via della Vittoria was an important military road. It connected Bardia in Italian Libya to Sidi Barrani in western Egypt. This road was built during World War II to help soldiers and supplies move around.
Building the "Victory Road"
The "Via della Vittoria" means "Victory Road" in Italian. Italian engineers built this road between September and December 1940. It stretched from Sidi Barrani, Egypt, to the border of Italian Libya. There, it connected to another big road called the Via Balbia.
The road was about 11 metres (12 yd) wide. It was also paved with asphalt, making it smooth for vehicles. Its full official name was Via della Vittoria nell'Africa Settentrionale Italiana. This longer name helped people tell it apart from another "Victory Road" built in Ethiopia in 1939.
Why the Road Was Needed
In the summer of 1940, the Italian Army invaded Egypt. They moved as far as Sidi Barrani. To keep their soldiers supplied, they needed a good way to move goods and equipment. This is why the new road was so important.
Italian Marshal Rodolfo Graziani ordered the road to be built. He wanted it to extend the Via Balbia about 100 kilometres (60 mi) into Egypt. This was also part of a plan for a possible Italian invasion of the Nile Delta in early 1941.
The Road During Wartime
In December 1940, the new road was used by the British forces. This happened during an important military action called Operation Compass. Over the next two years, the road saw a lot of action. It was often damaged because the battle lines kept changing. Forces from the Axis (like those led by Erwin Rommel) and the Allies fought over this area.
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