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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... develop all means of communication in Iraq , covering vast distances and utilizing river and rail transport , and develop port facilities ( a British company ran the Basra Port Directorate already ) . There was an immense amount of ...
... developed to supply Turkey with things such as tents , mess tins , water bottles , leather and army boots ( popularly known as ' Churchills ' ) . UKCC also went into the business of building regional surpluses of strategic materials and ...
... developed in British West Africa ( thirty of them in Nigeria ) as this remarkable essay in impe- rial improvisation , which later became one of the many examples of successful Anglo - American war cooperation , was developed with speed ...