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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... global example in the other direction . It was heads or tails , and Britain's side of the coin happened to land face down . Disarmament and appeasement had not increased world security as had been hoped , and Britain's pursuit of these ...
... global potential , notably America and Russia , did not pretend to be interested in taking on the role of world policeman , and the only meaningful international body that existed , the League of Nations , could only act successfully if ...
... global strategic balancing act in the face of so many potential aggressors , to go to the aid of Abyssinians , Czechoslovaks or Chinese when called upon to do so . Because Britain's capabilities could not match its commitments if they ...
... global trade and foreign investments that depended on peace and the freedom of the world's major sea routes . War was a disaster for global commerce and exchange . Production was redirected to war , the merchant marine was depleted ...
... global economy , shaped British foreign and defence policy in the pre - war period . Indeed imperial concerns , particularly the need to ensure imperial unity should war come , were paramount influences upon British policy . Britain's ...
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 |