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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... Keeping the balance of power finely adjusted in Europe enabled Britain to concentrate on its major interests - its Empire ... keep Britain's global interests out of the mire . - Germany , Italy and Japan all wanted empire for reasons of ...
... keep East African soldiers in touch with their home communities , in order to make them more efficient and to limit the disruption to African life and colonial rule that could result , on the one hand , from their absence , and on the ...
... keep the men in touch with life on the home front , and they were anxious to keep an eye on their personal affairs at home . There was a great drive to get men to write to their families , and to get those families to write back ( not ...