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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... important staging posts on the air route to India and the Far East . The overland route from Basra on the Persian Gulf , through Baghdad and on to Palestine , was also considered important by the British as an alternative to the Suez ...
... important because of the sea route from the Cape to the Middle East via the Mozambique Channel , and because of the presence of British and enemy bases such as Diego Suarez , Massawa and Mombasa . Patrolling the Mozambique Channel ...
... importance in British eyes , and it was itself affected by the war in many different ways . West Africa was an important manpower source , providing over 200,000 soldiers for the British Army . It was also an invaluable source of ...