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 28
... lives than any previous conflict . Simple military measures , which in earlier days would have been the sole criterion of preparedness for war , had ceased to be sufficient . Now , on top of supplying labour for civilian and military ...
... lives , or an abstract concept that many were unable to grasp . Tangible effects were experienced by all – the disappearance of a common household commodity , the death of a son in action or employment on a military base - and tended to ...
... live your lives according to the traditions and ceremonies you so rightly value very highly ' . Fiji's loyal response to the imperial call to arms was rewarded by the British colonial administration , as it was in parts of the British ...