The Battle of Benghazi occurred during the Italo-Turkish War when the Kingdom of Italy attacked and took possession of the major cities of the Ottoman Empire's North African Tripolitania province, now Libya.

[3] On 28 September 1911, the Italian Chargé d'Affaires presented the Turkish government in Constantinople with an ultimatum demanding that the Ottoman Empire consent to the military occupation of its North African province of Tripolitania by Italy within 24 hours.

[6] When Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire, Tripolitania was defended by Turkish forces totaling only 7,000 men in antiquated, second-rate forts in the cities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

To that end, the Italian plan was to capture and occupy the major cities along the Mediterranean, namely Tripoli, Tobruk, Derna, Benghazi, and Homs.

[7] Some military minds, however, recognized that the real defense of Tripolitania would come from the native populations in the interior organized by Sheik Sidi-es-Senoussi, the leader of the Senussi order.

[10] Immediately following the declaration of war, the Italian Navy established a blockade of 700 nautical miles along the shores of Tripolitania and took command of the eastern Mediterranean in order to transport an expeditionary force to the African coast.

[1] Shortly thereafter, Italian Admiral Augusto Aubry demanded that the Turkish force of 400 regular and 2,500 irregular troops surrender the city.

[13] Simultaneously, 800 Italian marines landed on Guiliana Beach unopposed and established an artillery battery on the high ground of the Cape.

The Turks quickly counter-attacked the Italians taking a position on a narrow strip of ground south of the town between Buscaiba Point on the shore and a salt lake to the east.

[14] During that time, a second Italian landing party attempted to capture the custom house wharf, but was repelled by heavy Turkish rifle fire.

[15] After the Italian marines had turned back the Turks at Juliana Beach, they secured the area and began to build piers to allow the infantry to disembark from the transport ships.

[14][16] At 7:00 pm, the Italian Navy bombarded the European quarter in the southern part of Benghazi after receiving numerous urgent appeals from General Briccola.

[16][17] Immediately after capturing Benghazi, the Italians chose not to continue the battle by pursuing the Turks, but rather to remain in the environs of the city taking a defensive position.

Likewise, the heavily outnumbered Turks were content to flee the city and take refuge 20 miles to the east in the hills at Bu Marian.

The Italians used the time to bring their entire force ashore and to begin the construction of defensive redoubts, an airstrip, and a military field railroad.

[20] One exception to the rule occurred on 28 November when Italian reconnaissance revealed that there was a substantial Turkish-Arab force 6-9 miles north-east of Benghazi at the oasis of al-Kuwayfiya.

To protect against further attacks, the Italians reinforced the garrison with the 57th Regiment from Italy and by bringing the battleship Regina Elina to Benghazi from Tobruk.

The Italians continued to stay in their defensive coastal fortifications protected by their naval firepower while the Turkish-Arab forces attacked without success.

[22][27] After a relatively quiet month of April, the Italians changed their tactics pertaining to the overall war and used their navy in May to attack the Ottoman Empire’s province of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea.

[23] In addition, Italy stated that the inhabitants of Tripolitania would be permitted to enjoy complete liberty in the Mahommedan religion as in the past with the name of the Sultan pronounced in public prayers and his personal representative recognized.