1944-1945 Analysis

To what extent was the involvement of the British Indian Army responsible for the defeat of the Japanese army in the Burma Campaign of 1944-1945?

Plan of investigation-

This investigation will contend to answer the extent to which Japanese defeat during the Burma campaign of 1944- 1945 can be accredited to the involvement of the British Indian Army. This topic was of interest as despite being one of the most protracted events during World War Two, the Burma campaign has seemed insignificant- to the extent of being forgotten. The dynamics of the campaign were interesting. The Indian army was one of the most important factors in the campaign. After the defeat in the first half of the campaign (1942-1943) improved organisation and military tactics within the regiments enabled the defeat of Japan. In order to answer the question, the analysis has been structured

G. A Roll of Honour: The Story of the Indian Army. London: Cassell, 1965.

Origin-

As the title states, the book focuses on the participation and contributions of the Indian Army- both the British Indian Army, and the Indian National Army throughout World War Two. The book also happens to cover the Burma Campaign, and the extent to which the British Indian Army participated in it.

Purpose-

The purpose of the book is to offer an informative account of the various effects of the Indian army throughout the years 1939-1945. Written several years after the events (1965) the book offers greater insight into the participation of the Indian army alone throughout the course of World War Two.

Value-

One of the main advantages of this book is the fact that it is rather fact based, and contains minimal amounts of story-like quality. Although this can be viewed as a limitation, the fact that the book was written few years after the events took place could be beneficial as primary resources would have been available in abundance. Both through written evidence, but also eyewitness