British Empire in World War II

Common card · No. 322568

Following the United Kingdom's declaration of war on Nazi Germany on 3 September 1939, numerous countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth entered the Second World War. These included crown colonies, protectorates, India, and four of the five independent Dominions—Australia, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand—as co-members (with the UK) of the British Commonwealth. In 1939 the British Empire and the Commonwealth together comprised a global power, with direct or de facto political and economic control of 25% of the world's population, and of 30% of its land mass. The contribution of the British Empire and Commonwealth in terms of manpower and materiel was critical to the Allied war-effort. From September 1939 to mid-1942, the UK led Allied efforts in multiple global military theatres. Commonwealth, Colonial and Imperial Indian forces, totalling close to 15 million serving men and women, fought the German, Italian, Japanese and other Axis armies, air-forces and navies across Europe...

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