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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... forced labour . Abuse in the application of tribal tradition , however , was to be countered wherever it was detected by British district officers . In practice many of the recruits were willing to join the army , for cash , for ...
... forced on people . But some were scared and ran away . They said , ' We are going to die ' . Those who understood , like me , we are volunteering . Some were forced to go : ' Your own [ age ] regiment has left . Why are you here ? You ...
... forced in the face of an attack . In their hurry to get Canadian troops into more prominent war roles , the Canadian ... forcing the garrison to retire to Hong Kong Island , where all forces had gathered by 13 December . The decision to ...