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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... Empire and Commonwealth made a remarkable contribution to the defeat of Japan by killing over 200,000 enemy soldiers . Britain's historic dependence upon its Empire for imports and exports inevitably also decided the way in which ...
... Imperial War Museum for permission to reproduce illustrations . While preparing this book , Mansfield College , Oxford , and the Joint Services Command ... Empire and Commonwealth Place names are X THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
... Empire ' or ' the Empire ' are used where appro- priate , though the sophistication ' the Empire and Commonwealth ' is used when writing specifically of the Dominions as well as the rest of the Empire . This is for the sake of easy ...
... imperial landmarks are not recognized . The fighting role of imperial forces such as the Canadians at Dieppe and the pan - Commonwealth Eighth Army are well remembered . The role of Malta , a tiny but priceless launch - pad for ...
... Empire and Commonwealth played a notable part in fighting the Japanese and aiding American forces . The Fourteenth Army , which consisted of Indians from every corner of the Raj , Gurkhas from Nepal , Kenyans , Nigerians , Rhodesians ...
Contents
1 | |
11 | |
21 | |
41 | |
5 The Atlantic | 53 |
6 The Caribbean | 77 |
7 The Mediterranean | 97 |
8 Iraq Iran and Syria | 145 |
11 The Islands of the Indian Ocean | 307 |
12 India and Burma | 351 |
13 SouthEast Asia and the Far East | 405 |
14 Australia and New Zealand | 463 |
15 The Pacific | 513 |
16 Epilogue | 525 |
Notes | 535 |
Bibliography | 561 |