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
Results 1-3 of 88
... enemy bombing in the first place , the results of enemy action could be devas- tating . Burma's second city , Mandalay , was similarly attacked by Japanese bombers as the colony was about to fall to the enemy . An air assault on 3 April ...
... enemy occupation in South - East Asia , Royal Navy blockade of Vichy Madagascar and a general lack of shipping . In parts of Africa , less popular crops like cassava and sweet potatoes had to stand in the place of more favoured staples ...
... enemy activity on its land borders ( in East Africa , the East Indies , the Middle East , South Asia and South - East Asia ) , and by enemy surface vessels and submarines , starting with German raiders , joined later by German , Italian ...