Final answer:
The Allies' success in North Africa was due to effective joint operations, strategic planning, and gaining the support of formerly aligned French Vichy forces which all contributed to driving out the German and Italian forces. The correct answer is option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Allies were successful in their invasion of North Africa primarily due to joint operations and a strategy that focused on exploiting the weaknesses of the Axis powers. The Allies, chiefly composed of British and American forces, landed in North Africa and initiated a two-pronged attack. The Americans pushed the Germans and Italians eastward from their landing points in Morocco and Algeria, while the British defeated General Erwin Rommel's forces at El Alamein in Egypt, pressing the Axis armies westward. By early 1943, the Allies had driven the Axis powers into Tunisia and out of Africa.
Another key factor in the successful campaign was the change in allegiance of French Vichy forces in North Africa, who joined the Allies against the Axis powers. Additionally, the campaign provided a strategic positioning for ensuing attacks on Italy and Southern Europe, which diverted a portion of German forces away from their engagements in the Soviet Union.
The answer to the student's question is: C. Joint operations between the Allies drove the Germans out of the occupied territories.