WW2 Flashcards
What happened in June 1940?
Humiliation at Dunkirk
When was the Humiliation at Dunkirk?
June 1940
How many men did the British bring?
5 million
Who bought 5 million men?
Britain
Where did half of the 5 million men the British bought come from?
India
When had Hong Kong fallen to Japan?
December 1941
What happened in December 1941?
Hong Kong fell to Japan
When had Japan invaded Malaya?
December 1941
What happened in December 1941?
Japan invaded Malaya
What was reported when Japan invaded Malaya in December 1941?
They didn’t lift a finger
When was the fall of Singapore?
February 1942
What happened in February 1942?
Fall of Sinhgapore
How much did the British spend in 1939 building a naval base in Singapore?
£500 million
In what year did the British spend £500 million building naval base in Singapore?
1939
Where did the British build naval bases in 1939, costing £500 million?
Singapore
What happened in the February 1942 Fall of Singapore?
23,000 Japanese soldiers attacked Singapore and then the British army surrendered
How many Japanese soldiers attacked Singapore in February 1942?
23,000
When had the British surrendered in the February 1942 fall of Singapore?
7 days later
How many prisoners did the Japanese take as a result of the 1942 Fall of Singapore?
130,000 British and Indian Prisoners of War
In what events were 130,000 British and Indian taken as Prisoners of War?
February 1942: Fall of Singapore
What was the impact of the February 1942 Fall of Singapore?
Loss of British prestige, especially to a non-white enemy, encouraging nationalist uprisings
What happened in May 1941?
Army rebellion against the British garrisons in Iraq
When was there an army rebellion against the British garrisons in Iraq?
May 1941
When had Russia and a Britain invaded Persia?
August 1941
When had Russia and Britain invaded Persia?
August 1941
What was the impact of the Anglo-Russia invasion of Persia in August 1941?
Secured their oil
What was the impact of the Great Bengal Famine (1943-44)?
Discontent increased
What did the British rely upon to survive the cost?
USA
Liquidating the oversea assets
How much was the British overspending by?
£2000 million a year
What was the fall in the value of exports as a result of the war?
Fell by 2/3
What fell by 2/3 as a result of the war?
British exports
What did Keynes say in August 1945?
Warned of a ‘financial Dunkirk’ facing peacetime Britain
Who warned of a ‘financial Dunkirk’ facing peacetime Britain in August 1945?
Keynes
When had Keynes warned of a ‘financial Dunkirk’?
August 1945
Who won the July 1945 general election?
Clement Attlee’s Labour Party
In what election had Clement Attlee’s Labour Party won?
General election in July 1945
What was the February 1942 fall of Singapore described as?
‘The most shattering imperial military defeat since General Cornwalli’s surrender at Yorktown in 1871’
Where were the British expelled from because of Japan?
Malaya
Borneo
Burma
Why was it so embarrassing to be defeated by Japan?
It was in an age where imperial ideology hinged on claims of European racial superiority, therefore they had an idea of an invincible white man
What had 30,000 Indian troops captured by the Japanese in Singapore do?
Joined the Indian national army (INA), which aimed to rid Asia of the British
Who joined the INA, which aimed to rid Asia of the British?
30,000 Indian troops who were captured by the Japanese in Singapore
When was the Burma Independence Army formed?
1941
What army was formed in 1941?
Burma Independence Army
What was the role of the Burma Independence Army?
Fought against the British
Who was the leader of the Burma Independence Army??
Aung SAN
When was the Battle of El Alamein?
November 1942
What happened in November 1942?
Battle of El Alamein
What happened in the November 1942 Battle of El Alamein?
British defeated the Germans in Egypt and cleared them out of Northern Africa and began to set their interests on Africa. Egyptian and Palestinians took advantage
What was the vent where the British defeated the Germans in Egypt and cleared them out of Northern Africa and began to set their interests on Africa (Egyptian and Palestinians took advantage)?
November 1942 Battle of El Alamein
What happened in the humiliation at Dunkirk in June 1940?
British troops were surrounded by German troops
By mid June, who many American rifles were making their way to Britain?
Half a million
When was Operation Barbarossa?
June 1941
What happened in June 1941?
Operation Barbarossa
What was the June 1941 Operation Barbarossa?
German invasion attempt of the Soviet Union
When was there a German invasion attempt of the Soviet Union?
June 1941 Operation Barbarossa
What was the impact of the June 1941 Operation Barbarossa?
Soviet Union joined the allies
push American alliance who were fascinated with decolonisation
