Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II began on the 10th of June 1940 when Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom. This event transformed the Mediterranean Sea into the longest-running theater of the Second World War.
Benito Mussolini initiated the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II through his imperial ambitions to establish a new Roman Empire. His regime sought to annex Albania, Dalmatia, and parts of Greece to secure hegemony in the region.
The Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II ended on the 2nd of May 1945 when the last Axis forces in Italy surrendered. This surrender marked the conclusion of a five-year struggle that outlasted the war in the Pacific.
The Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II was driven by the need to control sea lanes that connected the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Operations in this theater determined the fate of the Middle East and Southern Europe for decades to come.
The Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II lasted for five years from the 10th of June 1940 to the 2nd of May 1945. This duration made it the longest-running theater of the Second World War.