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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... world . As Sir Halford Mackinder , a pioneer of geopolitics , predicted , a democracy ' refuses to think strategically unless and until compelled to do so for the purposes of defence ' . It was therefore no surprise that ... SECOND WORLD WAR.
... world . In fact there was not one adequately defended base throughout the entire Empire when judged against the scale of likely attack using modern weapons . Yet the maintenance of naval supremacy , and the consequent ... SECOND WORLD WAR.
... world . ' After victory had been won in 1945 , Churchill told a London audience that ' the British Commonwealth and Empire stands more united and more effectively powerful than at any time in its long romantic history ... SECOND WORLD WAR.
... world with Russian officials in Berlin . The Empire and Commonwealth was the world's largest political , economic and military unit , and it went to war as one . In 1939 it was Britain's responsibility to defend every inch of the Empire ...
... world's sea lanes and loaded , unloaded , refuelled , repaired and revictualled at the many ports and harbours of the Empire and the wider world.15 The Merchant Navy was a multinational force , 28 THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND THE SECOND WORLD ...
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 |