July 1940 - While visiting Paris, Hitler has a stroke. The event is concealed from German people. While keeping up the pretence of a possible invasion of England, a build up for a Mediterranean offensive begins.
August 1940 - German paratroops take Malta after extremely bloody fighting.
September 1940 - German and Italian forces attack into Egypt and reach Alexandria and then the Suez canal. The Egyptian government (officially neutral) asks the British to leave. The British withdraw into Palestine abandoning Egypt and most of Sudan. Inadequate measures are taken to block the Suez Canal.
October 1940 - Pressured by Germany, Spain joins the Axis. An attack on Gibraltar begins. British forces take the Canary Islands.
November 1940 - Gibraltar falls. Rommel thrusts into Palestine. A revolt breaks out in Iraq, and the British position in the Middle East begins to collapse. Syria (Vichy) is heavily bombed by the British trying to stop supplies being sent throught to Iraq... and Vichy declares war on Britain. Japan occupies Indochina, and the Netherlands East Indies.
December 1940 - the Suez canal, now under Axis control, is reopened. Italian raiders are active in the Indian ocean. Japanese trade with the European Axis increases.
February 1941 - British intelligence warns of a possible invasion of the UK in the Spring, coordinate with a possible attack by Japan on British positions in Asia.
March 1941 - British intelligence reports a growing Axis invasion fleet in French ports, containing German, Italian, Vichy and Spanish vessels. Reports also arrive of major Japanese surface naval units have arrived in the Mediterranean, apparently in transit to Western Europe.
April 1941 - ????