ABSTRACT
The evolution of British strategy during the Pacific War can be divided into four distinct phases. They are: the period of misperception prior to the outbreak of the conflict in December 1941, the period of vulnerability during the opening phase of the war, December 1941 to early 1943, stalemate, early 1943 to summer 1944, and the period of decision, summer 1944 to August 1945. Assessments of the nature suggest that British intelligence on Japan's economic potential did not give due consideration to the possibility that among its key wartime objectives was the acquisition of new supplies of raw materials in Southeast Asia. Britain's miscalculation therefore did not stem entirely from a mistaken reading of the mentality prevailing among Japanese leaders. A more accurate assertion is that the unpredictable nature of the course of the Pacific War led Britain's military establishment to adapt to situations as they emerged.
