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
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... give the Japanese much of a chance if war came . Though politicians and service chiefs in Britain and the Dominions were well aware of Britain's limited capacity to resist aggression from three powerful sources at once , the public was ...
... give Britain use of all available facilities in the event of war . British advisers remained in the administration and the army , which was also supplied with British equipment under the terms of the treaty , and British airbases ...
... give German forces the run of impor- tant bases like Dakar and Bizerta , and the use of French warships . It might also lead to the retaliatory bombing of Gibraltar . Whilst these discussions were in motion , SOE was busy in Madagascar ...