ABSTRACT
From the end of 1941 to the summer in 1945, the battles in the Burma theatre occurred mainly at the beginning of each year. This is because fighting was virtually impossible during the monsoon season, lasting from May to October. In 1942, the Japanese conducted an offensive against Burma that culminated in its occupation. In 1943, the British Army attempted to take Akyab but failed. Nevertheless, when Brigadier-General Orde Wingate’s brigade crossed the Chindwin River, in the first Wingate expedition, this operation increased British morale, despite the large amount of damage sustained and the inability to achieve any strategic objectives. In 1944, the Japanese Army crossed the Chindwin River from the opposite side to the west bank in what became known as the Imphal operation. Ultimately, this operation would undermine Japanese belief in the invincibility of the Imperial Army and would accelerate the collapse of the Japanese defensive system in Burma. In 1945, during the Irrawaddy crossing, Allied forces launched a counter-offensive into Burma.
