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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... thought was given to the security dilemma in the region . The British war effort simply could not continue without its oil . The Chief of the Imperial General Staff and the three Commanders - in - Chief in the Middle East all agreed on ...
... thought that the British presence made Japanese attack more likely , and were in favour of any means of getting the British out . Gandhi demanded that the British leave , but was prepared to see British troops remain to defend India ...
... thought that the Australian government fully backed Australian involvement in the doomed operation ; the Australian govern- ment believed that Blamey thought that the operation had a fair chance of success . In the East Australians were ...