Reichskommissariat Nordafrika
Reichskommissariat Nordafrika — “The Desert Wall of the Reich”
Foundation and Territorial Extension
After the defeat of France and the collapse of the British Empire, Germany reorganized the vast conquered territories in North Africa and the Sahara. The Reichskommissariat Nordafrika was created in 1942, encompassing the French colonies of the Maghreb and West Africa, with the exception of Algeria, which was reserved as a special administrative domain under the direct control of collaborationist Paris.
The territories of RK-Nordafrika included Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Niger, Mali, Chad, and part of western Libya, as well as the strategic islands of Cape Verde. This extension made it the largest African Reichskommissariat, a direct bridge between Europe, the Atlantic, and the heart of the continent.
Erwin Rommel — “The Desert Fox” turned Reichskommissar
Biography and Rise
Erwin Rommel (b. 1891) was one of the most prestigious generals of the Heer. Known as the Desert Fox, he gained worldwide fame for his brilliant campaigns in Libya and Egypt, where his mobile warfare tactics challenged the British and Americans. After the capitulation of the United Kingdom and the consolidation of the Reich in Africa, Rommel was appointed in 1943 as Reichskommissar of Nordafrika, combining political and military functions over a vast territory.
Although a professional officer, Rommel was not a fanatical ideologue. His priority was the military and logistical organization of the colony, ensuring control of trans-Saharan routes, Atlantic ports, and vital resources such as phosphates, uranium, and oil.
Recognized as a hero of the Reich, he was elevated to Generalfeldmarschall and granted full autonomy over the forces of Nordafrika.
Army of Nordafrika — The Wehrmacht of the Sahara
Composition
- Reorganized Afrika Korps: Core of German veterans experienced in desert warfare.
- Light Panzer Divisions: Armored units adapted to the desert with Panzer IV, StuG III, and a few Tiger tanks as a deterrent force.
- Arab Legion: Composed of Moroccan, Libyan, and Tunisian volunteers trained by German officers.
- French Colonial Battalions: Former soldiers of the French colonial army who swore loyalty to the Reich after the fall of Vichy.
- Luftwaffe in the Desert: Squadrons of Bf 109 fighters and Ju-88 bombers, deployed in Morocco and Libya.
- Atlantic Kriegsmarine: Small flotillas of submarines and raiders operating from Dakar and Casablanca, projecting power in the mid-Atlantic.
Colonial Administration
Rommel established the administrative capital in Rabat, due to its proximity to Europe and strategic ports. His government applied a militarized and pragmatic model, avoiding ideological excesses in favor of efficiency. Unlike other Reichskommissariats, Nordafrika functioned more as a military viceroyalty, with Rommel in absolute command.
The resources of the Sahara — phosphates from Morocco, uranium from Niger, and oil from the Sahara — were exploited to sustain the Reich’s war machine. Roads, railways, and airfields were built to connect Dakar with Tripoli, creating a “logistical backbone” to move troops and supplies across the desert.
Strategic Evaluation (1946)
In 1946, RK-Nordafrika was considered the southern shield of the Reich. It controlled the mid-Atlantic, bordered West Africa still under American and Free French influence, and secured a bastion in the southern Mediterranean.
Rommel enjoyed great prestige among troops and the European settler population, though his administration faced guerrilla resistance in Mauritania, Niger, and Chad, where local tribes rejected German rule.
Despite these challenges, Nordafrika remained firm as a key piece of the new German world order, uniting Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic under the shadow of the swastika.
