The British Empire and the Second World WarIn 1939 Hitler went to war not just with Great Britain; he also went to war with the whole of the British Empire, the greatest empire that there had ever been. In the years since 1945 that empire has disappeared, and the crucial fact that the British Empire fought together as a whole during the war has been forgotten. All the parts of the empire joined the struggle and were involved in it from the beginning, undergoing huge changes and sometimes suffering great losses as a result. The war in the desert, the defence of Malta and the Malayan campaign, and the contribution of the empire as a whole in terms of supplies, communications and troops, all reflect the strategic importance of Britain's imperial status. Men and women not only from Australia, New Zealand and India but from many parts of Africa and the Middle East all played their part. Winston Churchill saw the war throughout in imperial terms. The British Empire and the Second World War emphasises a central fact about the Second World War that is often forgotten. |
From inside the book
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... Vichy government and empire added to the list of likely enemies . At the start of the war Russia was in a pact with Nazi Germany , and from April 1941 with Japan . An unlikely set of allies , one might think . In sharp contrast , within ...
... Vichy territory requiring a massive defensive concentration . The Second World War , notwithstanding the Eurocentric manner in which it is often remembered , was viewed at the time as an imperial struggle , not only by the politicians ...
... Vichy territories ; the loss of Syria as a base for potential air operations against hostile forces in the Caucasus ; and the use of Indo - China as a base for Japan's attack on British South - East Asia . Similarly , the temporary ...
... Vichy forces in Madagascar - but in others they were entirely inadequate , and the lack of preparation and of sufficient numbers of modern fighters and bombers was to cost dear in South - East Asia and the Dutch East Indies . Britain's ...
... Vichy Madagascar and a general lack of shipping . In parts of Africa , less popular crops like cassava and sweet potatoes had to stand in the place of more favoured staples like maize , and in many parts of the Empire wheat replaced ...
Contents
1 | |
11 | |
21 | |
41 | |
5 The Atlantic | 53 |
6 The Caribbean | 77 |
7 The Mediterranean | 97 |
8 Iraq Iran and Syria | 145 |
11 The Islands of the Indian Ocean | 307 |
12 India and Burma | 351 |
13 SouthEast Asia and the Far East | 405 |
14 Australia and New Zealand | 463 |
15 The Pacific | 513 |
16 Epilogue | 525 |
Notes | 535 |
Bibliography | 561 |