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. |
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... army there was competition from the traditional mass employer of the Southern African region , the mineral mines . In order to recruit successfully , whilst catering for the labour needs of domestic agriculture and the South African ...
... Army troops . Indian animal transport companies served in France before Dunkirk , and Indian infantrymen attacked the seemingly impregnable mountain- top position at Monte Cassino in Italy as the Eighth Army inched its way up the ...
... Army for better home defence . The First Army defended Queensland and New South Wales , the Second Army Victoria , South Australia and Tasmania . Western Command became 3rd Corps , the 6th Division became Northern Territory Force , and ...