The Audit of War
What was the British empire’s contribution to the victory in the Second World War? What was the impact of war upon the empire? A.J. Stockwell explores the interlocking questions of the costs of war and empire.
The debate over the value of the British empire is as old as the empire itself. It has ranged from arguments over the good things and bad things in history to elaborate accounting exercises. Cost-benefit analyses – some better informed than others – were conducted at the time of empire and have continued since it came to an end. Just as controversy has raged regarding its impact upon the non-European world, so opinion is divided over the empire’s importance for Britain. Were colonies like millstones or plums? Were they high maintenance or could they be run on the cheap? Did empire underpin or undermine economic growth? Did imperial issues win or lose elections? In short, did the British care about empire or were they largely indifferent to it?
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