World War II
More than 30,000 Libyans fought in the Italian Army from 1940 to 1943. There were two divisions of Arab-Berber troops (1st Libyan Division Sibelle and 2 Libyan Division Pescatori) that fought in World War II for the Fourth Shore of Italy. Even a battalion of Arab Libyan paratroopers was raised shortly before World War II, the first force of this kind to be created in all Africa. They trained in Castel Benito, near Tripoli, where the first "Italian Military Parachute School" was located (the first troops trained were two Libyan battalions, the Libyan Parachute Battalion and the 1st National Libyan Parachute Battalion, of the Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali della Libia (Royal Colonial Corps).
During World War II, the Senussi Idris supported the United Kingdom and brought some Cyrenaican nationalists to support the Allies against the Axis, which had occupied Libya. With the defeat of the German-Italian Army under Erwin Rommel, Idris was able to return to Benghazi: in 1951 was proclaimed King of Libya.
Read more about this topic: Military History Of Libya
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