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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... standing on the cliffs looking towards the Continent and resolutely saying , ' Very well , then , alone ! ' But Britain was by no means alone : as one incoming telegram reassured the British public in September 1939 , ' Don't worry ...
... standing expeditionary force was designed to be sent to Egypt , not Europe . The Indian Army , about the same size as the British Army , returned to its pre - war role as guardian of the North - West Frontier and as an imperial rapid ...
... standing undefeated at the gates of India . In Malaya , Bose would assume the leadership of a much larger force , the Indian National Army . The lion's share of the INA was recruited from amongst the 60,000 Indian soldiers captured by ...