Section Three-Imperial Defence Flashcards
What was the first key problem relating to imperial defence?
Britain was in severe economic difficulties during the inter-war years; key industries lost out in International markets and Britain badly hit by Great Depression of 1930s; as result cost of defending Empire became much greater burden
What was the second key problem relating to imperial defence?
In 1930s, new aggressive regimes emerged in Europe and Asia, posing direct threat to Empire; Imperial Japan danger in Asia, Italy in Africa; Germany in Europe
What was the third key problem relating to imperial defence?
Rise of nationalist independence movements, especially in India, made need for military resources in case of trouble more urgent
What did British have to do as result of these imperial defence issues?
- Had to take geopolitical view and prioritise balancing costs and military demands of defending an extensive global empire against needs in Europe and at home
- Therefore adopted policy of appeasement in some parts of world in order to allow deployment of resources to other areas which meant seeking to diffuse tensions with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
What measures did Britain go to for these Imperial defence issues?
- Modernised Indian army
- Continued with longstanding project to build up Singapore as formidable naval base
- Did this to build defence in Asia from Japan
- Britain spent £25 million on this in inter-war years, believing it would deter Japanese from aggression against empire
Why was Britain’s imperial defence policy a failure?
- British PM Neville Chamberlain badly underestimated scale of ambition in Nazi Germany and Italy and as a result Britain went to war against Germany when it invaded Poland in Sep 1939
- Japanese attacked Singapore in Feb 1942 when Britain was at war in Europe and too overstretched to reinforce Singapore adequately
- Britain’s Imperial Defence Policy thus proved a failure
