The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma: Analysing the 1942 Colonial Disaster

The string of military defeats during 1942 marked the end of British hegemony in Southeast Asia, finally destroying the myth of British imperial invincibility. The Japanese attack on Burma led to a hurried and often poorly organized evacuation of Indian and European civilians from the country. The evacuation was a public humiliation for the British and marked the end of their role in Burma. The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma investigates the social and political background to the evacuation, and the consequences of its failure. Utilizing unpublished letters, diaries, memoirs and official reports, Michael Leigh provides the first comprehensive account of the evacuation, analyzing its source in the structures of colonial society, fractured race relations and in the turbulent politics of colonial Burma. Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Maps -- List of Tables -- Abbreviations -- Note on Colonial-Era Names -- Introduction: Setting the Scene -- Part 1: Socio-political Undercurrents -- 1 Facts, Figures and Guesstimates -- 2 Politics: Unprepared for Everything -- 3 The Indian Question -- Part 2: Sturm, Drang and Panic -- 4 Rangoon: The Big Bang -- 5 Taungup: Cholera and Thirst -- 6 Mass Transportation -- 7 Mandalay, Maymyo and the Oilfields -- 8 Myitkyina: Seven Days That Shook a World -- Part 3: Residues of Hurt -- 9 Those Who Did Not Get Away -- 10 Counting the Cost -- 11 Conclusion: Humiliation and Tragedy -- Notes -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index