ABSTRACT
Great Britain was in an unusually difficult situation before the outbreak of the German-Soviet war. Until they were certain of the attack on the U.S.S.R. the English leaders feared a German invasion of the British Isles. They were anxious, too, about further Nazi operations from the Balkans to the south-east. The British evacuated Crete on May 27th and indications pointed to Cyprus being occupied next, and to even larger invasions of Syria and Lebanon. A great danger seemed to threaten the Suez Canal and the countries of the Middle East. But the whole situation changed when Hitler concentrated his forces in Eastern Europe.
