ABSTRACT
The Japanese occupation of much of South-east Asia in 1941—1942 proved the catalyst for growing nationalism on the part of the indigenous populations. The campaign waged against the British authorities in Palestine by Jewish insurgent and terrorist groups between 1944 and 1948, and the more limited British participation in the Greek Civil War between 1944 and 1947, were highly formative experiences for the British army. In the case of Palestine, the roots of insurgency lay in the belief on the part of the Jews that the British had breached past pledges to keep open Palestine by attempting to restrict Jewish immigration. The campaign was also supplemented by a highly effective propaganda machine, which was shown to be particularly significant in the success or otherwise of insurgency. Effectively, the terrorist campaign, which cost 338 British lives, confronted Britain with a direct choice between total repression and total withdrawal.
