Figure 1.--This is a map of the British Empire at the time of World War II. Thee are some errors. The most important is the failure to color in Egypt. The British protectorate ended (922), but the British Army remaied to protect the Suez Canal. Among Egyptian Army ad public in general there was cosiderable sympathy for the Germans. Smaller issues are the failure to include the International Settlement in Shanghai. Also the Marshall Islands are not identified. All these territories were the scene of intense action during the War. Click on th image for a larger view of the map.

"Britannia had been grand. Her servants had been high-minded, decent peole more often than they had been bullies. But she had not shown the vigor of the evil empires, Nazi and Soviet, nor the swirling energy of America. At home she was homely. Abroad her people had lost their appetite for territorial expansion or for keeping other people down. So, at last, one of the largest and least likely empires in all of human history was dying. Yet Britania's finest hour rally had come as she expired. In 1940 the British under Churchil had not done the obvious thaing and walked away from the fight. They had drawn together. and togerther they had stupidly, ubimginatively ansunrealistically fought on. This was rediculus. Modern Britain is our share of the reward."

-- Andrew Marr, historia, 2009

The British Empire at the time of World War II was at its zenith. The Empire spanned the globe. Two decades after World War, Britain was again threatened and in a weakened position to defend itself, especially after the fall of France (May 1940). The Empire was a major reservopir of strenth, manpower and resources. But the Germans were now on the Channel and the Empire was very far away. The Germans in both World Wars ignored the Empire and assessed British and French forces without the Empire. Only after France fell, Churchill became prime-minister and held despite being powered by the Blitz. Unable to destroy England, the inherent srength of the Empire could be brought into place. The British Empire w one of the great empires of history. This would be eventually lead Hitler and the NAZI into a destructive two-front war. But even with the Empire, Britain and the Empire were incapable of reentering the Continent and destroying the NAZI menance. Here America, the Great Arsenal of Democracy was needed and fortunately, Churchill understood this. The Empire itself was bifurcated. There were self-governing Doninions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa). Unlike World War I, they did automatically ener the war when Britain decalrd war on Germany. Individually they were minor powers, but combined they were another major beligerant the Axis had to face. The rest of the Empire were colonies that were at war when Britain declared war. India was the Jewel in the Crown and would play an imprtant part bin the War. Much of the rest of the Empire was African colonies. Here the major contribution was resources. In Asia, especially India, there ere stiring of nationalist sentiment. This has not yet occurred in the African colonies. It would be Britain and its empire that would offer the first effective resistance to Hitler and the NAZI horror. The British and their Empire would not have the power to destroy the NAZIs. Thy did have the power, much to Hitler's frusration, to stop the NAZIs. The Royal Navy effectively blockaded Hitler's continental empire. Thismade him dependent on food and raw material supplies from Stalin. The Soviet Union at the time was a NAZI ally. Of coursethere is no way of knowing just how it was effecting Hitler's thinking, but surely he was thinking that he needed to possess those resources. And he must have also thought, what id Stalin cut him off. And in 1940-41 this was vital. Too often World War II historins fail tohilight the imprtance of the Royal Navy. While Britain coul not defeat the NAZIson ots own, all Britain had to do was not be defeated until both the Soviet Union were unwillingly brought into the War.

America

Prime-Minister Churchill was nota brilliant military strategist. He did mobilize the English language for war. And the British people finally understood that there was no other alternative to fighting another war. He did unrsand that Britain would have to mobilizefor War as it had done in World War II. And he got the big issues right. And chief among them was to bring America into the War. In this regard, America wa the one ndispenible country. President Roosevelt was determined to aid Britain, although American isolationist sentiment made it impossible for the President to wage war at the time. He was able to inmitiate programs (especially Lend Lease and an indeclared naval war) that made it impossible for the NAZIs to defeat Britain. The President was determined to save Britain, but had no such interest in saving the British Empire. The Anglo-Amrrican alliance which developed was surely the most important and cloest alliance in all of history. There were many disagreements and intense debate, but the one issue that Roosevelt and Churchill could not resolve was the future of the British Empire. [Roberts] Many American commanders became convinced that Britain was just as committed to preseving the Empire as winning the War. One reason that the United States resisted expanding the Mediterranean Theater and was sinled mindedly focused on a Chross-Channel invasion was the impression that Mediterranean operations were largely aimed at preserving the Empire more than defeating the Germans.

The Dominons

While the term "Britain Alone" is commonly used as we have used it. Britain in a very real sence, however, was not quite alone. Even as the NAZIs reached the Channel, the First Canadian Division was braced as the only fully equipped divion in England. In addition to a very sympatheic American president, the Dominions stood by Britain. While each alone were not a major force, the combined strngth of the Dominions was very substantial. In fact is that it likely that without the Dominions, the Axis would have seized the Middle East and gained access to the vital oil resources of Iran and Iraq in 1941. Each of the Dominions as well as India played key roles in the War. Other colonial outposts played various roles in the War. The autonomous British Dominions of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa all declared war in September 1939 on Britain's side and stood by her throughout the War. After the fall of France, Britain was alone with the Empire. The British effort was a collective Empire effort. Canadians were stationed in Britain right away in 1939. The Royal Canadian Navy played a major role in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Air Forces of Britain and the Dominions all trained in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which took place in Canada. Many of the Canadians died in the ill-fated raid on Dieppe in 1942. Canadians took part alongside the British in the Normandy Invasion in 1944. South Africans fought in the battles in North Africa, Indians also fought in North Africa and in Burma, while Australians and New Zealanders fought both in the Middle East and in the acific. Imperial forces played a major role in the Allied war effort. It should not be thought that Churchill when he talked about fighting alone he ws asuming Britain and the Dominions together as an extended British people.

Asia

Asia was an especially important part of the British Empire, the reason that Suez was so important to the British war effort. And the most important was India which at the time included Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Administered separately was Burma. Also important was Malaya (rubber and tin) and Borneo (oil). The naval base at Singapore was believed to be impregnable was built to safe guard Britain's position in Asia. Italy was vital early n the War. It unlikely that Britain could not have held Suez or retaken East Africa without the Indian Army. It was a force in being while Britain was still mobilizing it army to hold the Britain itself (1940). Over 2.5 million soldiers fought in the War. After Pearl Harbor (December 1941), the Indian Army was the largest component of the British 14th Army that defended India and retook Burma as part of the CBI. India was also became the base for American operations to get supplies to China by flying The Hump s the Japanese had cut the Burma Road. Britain had granted India Home Rule in the 1930s. The Indian National Congress, demanded independence before it would help Britain. 【Broad】 The British Government refused the demand. Churchill was not looking forward to independence after the War. Congress as a result launched the 'Quit India' (August 1942) Britain imprisoned some of thousands of its leaders. The Indian Army remained loyal. The financial, industrial and military assistance of India formed a crucial component of the British campaign against NAZI Germany and Imperial Japan. 【Weigold】 India's strategic location at the tip of the Indian Ocean, its large production of armaments.

Oceania

Africa

Sources

Broad, Roger. Volunteers and Pressed Men: How Britain and its Empire Raised its Forces in Two World Wars (Fonthill Media: 2017).

Marr, Andrew. The Making of Modern Britain: From Queen Victoria to VE Day (Pan MacMillan: Lon, 2009).

Mukerjee, Madhusree. Churchill's Secret War: The British Empire and the Ravaging of India during World War II. The author here refer's to World War II as 'the defense of the British Empire' and the the 'Empire's War'. There seems to be no recognition of the terrible crimes of the Axis countries and murder in the tens of millions. The liberation of the suffering, starving people of occupied Europe and China and the end of genocide or simply glanced over. Nor does Mukerjee even consider what a NAZI or Japanese occupation of India have meant for the country and the Indian people.

Weigold, Auriol. Churchill, Roosevelt and India: Propaganda During World War II (Taylor & Francis: 2008).

Created: 11:14 PM 6/24/2025
Last updated: 11:14 PM 6/24/2025