The Impact of the Japanese Occupation on Colonial and Anti-colonial Armies in Southeast Asia

The formation of colonial armies during the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asiacalled independence and volunteer armies-achieved results well beyond the initial aims of their Japanese sponsors. Given different modes of training, and deployed for various purposes, including resisting the West and internal pacification, the impact of these armies was to be varied, but nevertheless of considerable importance in postwar developments. Some of these forces eventually revolted against the Japanese, and many took part in the subsequent struggle for independence, or were used as political leverage in postwar politics.