Italy's entry to the war in June 1940 posed a serious threat to Britain's strategic positions in the Mediterranean, Egypt and Palestine. It also jeopardised the supplies of oil from the Middle East and the line of communication with India and the Far East through the Suez Canal. By February 1941, the allies had crushed the Italians; the resulting euphoria was short-lived - as General Rommel and the Afrika Corps entered the Theatre of desert war.