Date

5-2023

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Humanities & Communication

Major

Human Communications, with a focus on Historical Studies

Abstract

No conflict has shaped the modern world more thoroughly than the Second World War. However, the retelling of this era, whether through mass media or more scholarly works such as books and journal articles, is one seen through a white, Eurocentric lens. This is strange; as the name implies, the Second World War was a truly global conflict, involving not only the major world powers at the time, but also their subjects. Great Britain was no exception; far from the popular image of it standing alone in the face of Nazi tyranny, the island nation drew vast amounts of men and materiel from her colonies throughout the world. Even the British Army began to rely on soldiers not native to her shores as the war progressed, with Africans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, and Indians serving in battlefields from Dunkirk to the Rhine. In spite of their service and being on the winning side, however, the stories of these colonial troops, particularly those from the Indian subcontinent, went untold for years. Indeed, it is only recently, with the breakup of the British Empire in the late 20th century and growing post-colonial awareness in today’s century, that the triumphs and tribulations of these colonial soldiers are being told.

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