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British imperialism in Malaya
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The Malayan Emergency was a battle between the British and the Malayan Races Liberation Army. Despite being in a less focused Asian region in the 1940 and 1950s, the Emergency played an important part in British military history. This essay will focus on reviews on works done on Malayan emergency. The essay will also focus on the important factors that are said to be the factors for the victory of Britain over the insurgents – ‘Winning Hearts and Minds’, Korean War Boom and General Templer. This essay will also focus on a less known, yet an important part of Malayan Emergency – the biochemical warfare conducted by the British against the insurgents.
The Malayan Emergency despite seeming to be between Great Britain and the Malayan Races Liberation Army (MNLA) was a battle that involved more than Britain and MNLA. One major issue that is discussed in most essays and books is the Counter-Insurgency or better known as COIN. One of the main principles of COIN is the ‘winning of hearts and minds’ as shown in the book Hearts and Minds: A People’s History of Counterinsurgency edited by Hannah Gurman1. Out of around 90 books and articles, at least 15 of those touch on topics related to Malayan Emergency. Winning hearts and minds is one of the most widely discussed topics when talking about Malayan Emergency.
Winning hearts and minds is the concept of using non-military methods to prevail over the opposing force. It has since been repeated in history from the Malayan Emergency to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Winning the hearts and minds of the people of Malaya was one of the main methods used by General Templer. The high emphasis placed on winning hearts and minds is seen in the following quote by General Templer, “the answer lies i...
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The Malayan Emergency or the Anti-British National Liberation War as called by Malayan National Liberation Army was an important incident that occurred right after the Second World War. Britain had to show that it was still in power over its colonies despite losing them to Japan during the war. The fight against the communist was also necessary since Malaya could have been used as a base for the spread of communism through South East Asia if the communist were victorious. At the same time, Britain had to realize its weakening power over the colonies and had to let the colonies stand-alone. Despite early setbacks, Britain eventually managed to triumph against the communists in Malaya. The factors that were discussed in this essay are seen as important factors, which contributed to the British forces’ triumph over the insurgent communist in Malaya.
Appy’s book is valuable to its readers in showing how Vietnam became the template for every American war since, from novelties like the invasion of Grenada to the seemingly never-ending conflicts post-9/11. But before all that, there was Vietnam, and, larger lessons aside, Appy’s book is a fascinating, insightful, infuriating and thought-provoking study of that conflict, from its earliest days
Stacey, C. P. Six Years of War: The Army in Canada, Britain and the Pacific.
After a quick examination of the recurring theme of Japanese military arrogance, I will argue that the three most compelling strategies that the Japanese could have pursued in the spring of 1942 were, one – to consolidate the most important resource gains that were already made; two – commence immediate planning for a strong anti-submarine warfare campaign; and three – coordinate significant operations with Japan’s Axis partners, particularly in the Indian Ocean and Southwest Asia theaters of conflict.
War is the means to many ends. The ends of ruthless dictators, of land disputes, and lives – each play its part in the reasoning for war. War is controllable. It can be avoided; however, once it begins, the bat...
Through early 1930's Japan was facing difficult economic times and conflict pertaining to the rights that they believed were rightfully theirs. On The night of September 18, 1931 the Manchurian crisis (Mukden Incident) took place. An explosion destroyed part of the Southern Manchurian railway which was owned by the Japanese. After this incident Japan started to began to lean into militarism. This event was a huge turning point for the country of japan as a whole. To what extent did the Manchurian Crisis affect militarism in Japan. This will be investigated through the analysis of the The Manchurian Crisis and Japanese Society, 1931-33 by Sandra Wilson, Conspiracy at Mukden: The Rise of the Japanese Military By Takehiko Yoshihashi , and South Manchurian Railway The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.
Though out history, American has had its hand in conflict with other countries. Some of those conflicts have turned out into wars. Looking back at America’s “track record” with war, America has a worthy past of having its citizen’s support. Obviously the two World Wars we not controversial. The United States in the Korean War was criticized, fairly, for its strategy, but the need to defend South Korea was never questioned. In only the Vietnam War was the United States’ very participation criticized. This is such a gigantic change with prior wars that it bears study as to why it happened, and better yet, should have it happened. This paper will discuss the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War, by asking the simple question, Should have the Untied States’ gotten involved into the first place. This paper will prove that in fact, America should have not gotten involved with the Vietnam War.
The warfare before World War I was that of chivalry and heroic ideals, in which soldiers gave their lives for noble causes and, by doing so, went down in history as honourable heroes. The high recruitment rate at the beginning of the Great War shows that in 1914 a whole generation of young men wanted to fight because they believed in the just cause of it. However, the soldiers quickly discard and outgrow this simplistic view and become aware that “the War is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it” (Sassoon). The tragedy of World War I lies in the fact that so many people lost their lives, either as soldiers or as collateral damage, simply because of rival imperialism, which once more shows that humanity’s greatest enemy is man himself.
For the great lesson which history imprints on the mind…is the tragic certainty that all wars gain their ultimate ends, whether great or petty, by the violation of personality, by the destruction of homes, by the paralysis of art and industry and letters…even wars entered on from high motives must rouse greed, cupidity, and blind hatred; that even in defensive warfare a people can defend its rights only by inflicting new wrongs; and that chivalrous no less than self-seeking war entails relentless destruction.
Was high and strong British morale during the Battle of Britain an historical reality? This investigation determines how the British people were affected by the Luftwaffe’s attacks on their cities and the British Royal Air Force. In order to disprove or prove the idea that the British morale was high and strong, the investigation will evaluate their reactions, individual’s quotes, songs, and a newspaper article. One source, “World War II Blackout Regulations”, is a newspaper article outlining the rules in the case of a Blackout and the description of the Blackout by a citizen who experienced it. The investigation will include the attack on Coventry specifically and the Blackout. It will not include, however, information on other countries’ reactions towards Britain nor detailed weapons use.
Field, Frank. British and French Operations of the First World War. Cambridge (England); New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
All throughout time and history people have been at war with each other at one point or another. War can, truthfully, at times be inescapable and considered by some historians as a natural instinct, an instinct that every human being possess. Throughout history mighty empires and governments have collapsed due to the damages inflicted on by a war, yet in spite of this, some have managed to face the odds and make it through, staggering along as if nothing happened. War is a true test of an empire or government’s determination to move forward, adapting using the knowledge and intellect they have acquired to their own advantage. Nevertheless, not all wars lead to fighting by physical means but instead it can lead to fighting mentally by opposing sides. One such example would be the non-traditional Cold War fought between the United States and Soviet Union. The Cold War was a time that caused an immense fear in the lives of many, and inspired novels such as 1984 by George Orwell, Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, and essays such as “You and the Atomic Bomb” by George Orwell, which are just some of the voices from this terrible time.
Mackay, Derek. Eastern Customs: The Customs Service in British Malaya and the Opium Trade. London: Radcliffe, 2005. Print.
Dentan, Robert Knox. 1968. The Semai: A Nonviolent People of Malaya. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
David Galula and Roger Trinquier have common roots, they were French citizens and both lived in the 20th century when the study of counterinsurgency theory was coming into focus. Each of these men experienced bitter conflicts of war. Galula fought in North Africa, Italy, and France. In addition, Galula fought in irregular wars located in China, Greece, Indochina, and Algeria. Galula was a lieutenant colonel when he decided to author his now classic book. Whereas, Trinquier an officer in the colonial infantry defended the French concession in Shanghai and later in Indochina under the Japanese occupation where he was held prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp. After Trinquier’s release from prison, he continued to serve in Indochina and additionally in Algeria. Both men wrote from first-hand experience and published their accounts in 1964 while the Cold War waged. Communism ideology vs. the free world theorists collided across the face of the globe in a race for domination. Counterinsurgency has been an American strategy since the 1960s ebbing and flowing in strategic signi...
The Battle of Singapore took place during World War II from January 31 to February 15, 1942. The two opposing forces were the British and Japanese. Lieutenant General Author Percival led 85, 000 men to defend the war while Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita commanded the invasion with 36, 000 men. The onslaught to invade British Malaya commenced in December 8, 1941. During this period, General Yamashita started invading this British colony from Indochina and subsequently from Thailand. The Japanese forces that invaded Malaya were obviously outnumbered by the British forces, but they intelligently concentrated their forces and applied combined army skills learned and acquired in earlier campaigns to drive back and flank their enemies frequently. The Japanese forces rapidly acquired air superiority over the Britons, and they exacted a demoralizing blow on the British forces, when a Japanese aircraft sank two integral British battleships. The Japanese also used bicycles and light tanks to swiftly maneuver through the peninsula’s jungles, in order to attack the British armies. Although General Percival was reinforced, his forces were unable to halt the Japanese invasion and in the end, they withdrew from the peninsula and took refuge in the island of Singapore to prepare for the final fight with the anticipated Japanese forces. In the end, the British army lost the war because the Japanese forces expertly combined speed, savagery, and surprise without permitting the British forces to re-group and strategize. The Japanese were able to invade Singapore because of their dominance on the unprepared British forces. They efficiently applied the principles of mass, surprise, objective and unity of command by focusing on ...