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Indian Army in World War I and II Module - III

Military History of the
two fronts where the war was fought. One was in Europe and Russia and the other in
Colonial Era
SE Asia. This war lasted from 1939 to 1945 and was called a Global War. This was
the war, which witnessed the dropping of the first atomic bomb at Hiroshima and then
at Nagasaki by the Americans. At the start of the war in Europe, Japan had already
invaded China and captured most major cities of China including Shanghai, Nanking
and Wuhan.
The Second World War (Map12.2) is said to have broken out with German aggression Note
on Poland on 1 September 1939. The war was fought between the Allies (Britain,
France, Soviet Union, USA and their friends) on the one side and Axis powers
(Germany, Italy and Japan) on the other. World War II was a titanic conflict that
dwarfed even WW-I in scale and magnitude. Over 30 countries fought in this war and
the damage and destruction including deaths was colossal. Let us identify the continents
and countries involved in this war. This war can be divided into battles on two Fronts,
viz; Western Front (Europe and Africa) and the Eastern Front (SE Asia). Accordingly
the countries formed alliances with the Axis Powers consisting of Germany, Italy and
Japan and the Allies with balance of Europe, Russia and USA.

Map 12.2 Map of the World War II 1939-1945 - World Atlas

As we have seen in WW I, Great Britain became an automatic ally and got involved in
the war. Therefore, Indian troops, which had contributed tremendous to success in the
previous war, became a natural choice because of their courage, loyalty and discipline.
Indian army by then had earned the privilege of being a very reliable and much needed
force for any war. Let us see how and where did all the Indian soldiers fight this time.

But before that you must understand some words used in military to describe wars
and battles. What is a Theatre of Operation? In the context of military it signifies an
area where war is fought. In ancient times there was a chosen battleground to fight. As
forces became large and countries got involved, the capture of large areas required
separate planning and coordination. The term Theatre of Operation was coined to
signify specific areas where battles will be fought in order to achieve the desired aims.

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MILITARY HISTORY 83