Distant Drums: The Role of Colonies in British Imperial WarfareDistant Drums reveals how the colonies were central to the defense of the British Empire and the command of the oceans that underpinned it. Now in paperback, Distant Drums blends sweeping overviews of the nature of imperial defense with grassroots explanations of how individual colonies were mobilized for war, drawing on the author's specialist knowledge of the Indian Ocean and colonies, such as Bechuanaland, Ceylon, Mauritius, and Swaziland. This permits the full and dramatic range of action involved in imperial warfare to be viewed as part of an interconnected whole, from policy-makers and military planners in Whitehall to chiefs recruiting soldiers in African villages. After examining the martial reasons for acquiring colonies, the book considers the colonial role in the First World War. It then turns to the Second World War, documenting the recruitment of colonial soldiers, their manifold roles in British military formations, and the impact of war upon colonial home fronts. It reveals the problems associated with the use of colonial troops far from home and the networks used to achieve the mobilization of a global empire, such as those formed by colonial governors and regional naval commanders. Distant Drums is an important contribution to the understanding of the role of British colonies in 20th-century warfare. The defense of empire has traditionally been associated with the military endeavors of Britain and the 'white' Dominions, with the Indian Army sometimes in the background. This book champions the crucial role played by the other parts of the British Empire - the 60 or so colonies spread across the globe - in delivering victory during both World Wars. |
Contents
The British Colonial Empire and Imperial Warfare | 1 |
The Evolution of Ceylon as a Martial Colony 17601960 | 41 |
The First World War in the Indian Ocean Region | 75 |
The | 99 |
The Case of the High | 127 |
The Military Contribution of the High Commission | 154 |
Unrest among | 177 |
The 1st Battalion The Mauritius Regiment Madagascar | 203 |
Other editions - View all
Distant Drums: The Role of Colonies in British Imperial Warfare Ashley Jackson No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Aden Admiralty Allied artillery authorities Bakgatla base Basotho Basuto Basutoland Batswana Battalion became Bechuanaland Protectorate Boer Britain British Army British colonies British Empire British rule BSAC Burma campaign Caprivi Strip Ceylon chiefs Colombo Colonel colonial empire Colonial Office command Commander-in-Chief Company cruiser district commissioners Dominions East Africa East Indies Station Egypt Emden Empire's enemy European fighting forces garrison German global Governor HCT troops headquarters High Commission Territories High Commissioner imperial defence Indian Ocean Indian Ocean region infantry island Japanese Kandy Kenya King's African Rifles labour land London Madagascar Malaya Malta Mauritian Mauritius Regiment Mediterranean Middle East Middle East Command mutiny naval networks operations overseas Pacific Persian Gulf Pioneer Corps political ports Protectorate's recruitment Resident Commissioner role route Royal Navy Second World sent served ships Singapore soldiers South Africa Southern Rhodesia Squadron strategic Suez Swazi Swaziland tion Trincomalee Tshekedi units warships West whilst