Year 9 NSW » History » Australia and World War II » Relations with Britain and the United States of America

Topic : Relations with Britain and the United States of America

In this topic you will learn...

Chapter 1 : Fall of Singapore

Singapore was a symbol of British imperial power in South East Asia and the last major British defensive installation before Australia
The Japanese launched a strategic campaign to create the Great East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere in December 1941 with the bombing of the American fleet at Pearl Harbor
In early January 1942, Japanese forces seized and occupied the Malayan Peninsula
With over 130 000 Allied troops stationed in Malaya and Singapore, British High Command was confident that Singapore would remain safe
The defences of Singapore were mismanaged primarily because of the belief that Singapore was impregnable
Upon the eve of invasion, the mood among the ex-patriots in Singapore was light as they went about their evening entertainment
The Japanese seized Singapore with great speed, acquiring one-third of the island in only two days
Panic broke out among ex-patriots, soldiers, and the native population, as people attempted to escape the island on ships
British General Percival signed surrender papers on 15 February 1942, fearful for the lives of soldiers and civilians in Singapore
Over 130 000 Allied troops were taken prisoner, including 15 000 Australians

Chapter 2 : US naval power in the Pacific

Chapter 3 : John Curtin: Labor PM (1941-1945)

Chapter 4 : The end of World War II

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