However, people were also forced to enlist. Sometimes local leaders were given a quota of men they had to fill and there are examples of men who were literally kidnapped and taken away to join the army. The lifeblood of the British Empire was the sea. The Royal Navy policed the waves so that its merchant ships could trade across the globe. This brought the British Empire vast wealth, but not all of its citizens were able to share in it. Many overseas subjects were demanding greater freedom from the empire to control their own affairs, while at home domestic issues threatened to boil over.

How Britain Really Works by Stig Abell | Hachette UK

By 1941 Canada had opened 150 new factories to support the war effort. Their annual output reaching 800 million pounds worth of goods and it wasn't just Canada. It agonized over whether to support Russia and France. I think at the heart of Britain's anxieties it came down really to Britain fearing German domination of Europe because if a victorious but hostile Germany dominated the continent and threatened Britain's position in the world that was just intolerable for Britain.Absorbing . . . an intelligent and clear-eyed account of much that goes on in our country’ Sunday Times If the vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar weren’t hard enough, this table sheds light on just how difficult it can be for a foreigner to understand what the British really mean when they’re speaking. A very important lesson not taught at school. As an island nation, Britain just did not have the manpower to be able to fight across so many global fronts. The Indian army provided a huge 2.5 million soldiers across the world. They were fighting in Burma, in North Africa and in Italy. People also gave on an individual level as well. Even people who had very little to give were still giving what they could. For example, despite the major food shortages in Mauritius, the country banded together as individuals to buy an entire spitfire squadron and provided the first mobile canteen van to London during the blitz in 1940.

How Britain Really Works, by Stig Abell - Financial Times

Archive Clip: "This is Britain's colonial empire two and a half million square miles from the Antarctic to the tropics with dependencies in every continent and every ocean." The poll, reported first by Byline Times shows that the public think the Tories are failing on almost every major issue. It’s damning stuff. Here are the results: Absorbing . . . an intelligent and clear-eyed account of much that goes on in our country'  Sunday TimesCulture History, music, cooking, travel, books, theatre, film – but also with an eye on the ‘culture wars’, nationalism and identity. Alongside the collaboration between Britain and its Empire, there was also exploitation. There was also racism and prejudice against these people that had given up so much to fight and work for Britain. These are stories that shouldn't be forgotten and do also need to be highlighted when we talk about Britain and its Empire.