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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... Empire . The Japanese and Italians , in particular , could not see a way forward for their own nations without a downsizing of British terri- tory . Russia , too , had grand designs on Britain's Empire , particularly in the Persian Gulf ...
... Empire and Commonwealth might well lay claim to being the most dramatically affected parts of the Empire along with the conquered terri- tories of South - East Asia . Not all Pacific islanders , of course , were affected in the same way ...
... Empire and Commonwealth celebrated the end of a gruelling six year conflict . ( Some celebrations got out of hand , as in Halifax where a swollen wartime civilian population , and 25,000 service personnel , went on a binge that saw 200 ...