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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... division was moved to the Middle East , where it was joined in the desert by the 2nd ( South African ) Division in October 1941. For the campaigns in North African from June 1941 , South Africa deployed two divisions and an air wing ...
... Division north , as he feared a Japanese landing in the south . In the eastern half of the narrow peninsula the 9th Indian Division fought a separate campaign . On 5 January 1942 it was decided to evacuate Kuala Lumpur and form a new ...
... Division formed the backbone of the imperial force that conquered Vichy Syria , providing 18,000 of the 34,000 ... Division were captured , the 6th and 7th Divisions returned to Australia , though two brigades were diverted to Ceylon for ...