ABSTRACT
The outcome of the war which began in 1939 depended fundamentally on the struggle between the Soviet Union and Germany in Eastern Europe and on the involvement of the United States from 1941 onwards in a war that had become global. The Pax Britannica was in the process of being replaced by Pax Americana. In that further postwar struggle which became known as the 'Cold War', Britain was a subordinate player. The history of the subsequent decades demonstrated the very severe limitations on Britain as a 'world power'. Independence for the Indian sub-continent had not seen the end of British influence in parts of Asia. Hong Kong proved to be a dynamic commercial centre but a 'return by' label was attached to territory vital for its functioning. British influence in the Arabian Gulf remained paramount and in 1961 British troops were successfully sent to defend the fledgling independence of Kuwait.
