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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... Churchill , not surprisingly , had more imperial experience than any of his colleagues . The young Churchill saw action on the North - West Frontier in India , and in 1898 rode in the British Army's last cavalry charge at Omdurman in ...
... Churchill to meet President Roosevelt across the dangerous Atlantic waters . The battleship made most of the journey without escort . By all accounts Churchill took to the venture like a schoolboy let loose for the summer holidays ...
... Churchill was wildly out of touch , but then so was just about everybody else at the time . The Admiralty Naval Staff's plan was less spectacular , though , after Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk , it was this that was adopted ...