Ramp-Rat
Monthly Donor
There can be little doubt that the various local campions of independence who rose to such prominence IOTL in the Far East, as a consequence of the collapse of British, Dutch and French colonial governments. Are ITTL, going to be especially in regards to the British and Dutch, either not heard of, or a minor footnote in the history of the campaign. Things will be different in the French colonies, as the collapse of France and the subsequent takeover by the Japanese, will see a more prevalent role for some local leaders, especially those prepared to cooperate with the Japanese. As has been pointed out by others, most of the leading opponents to colonial rule were in the case of the British or Dutch, either in prison or exile, and without Japanese assistance are going to remain locked up or unable to take part in the events now occurring. Bose who was able once he arrived in the East from his exile, was able to recruit from the numerous Indian POW’s, who rightly felt that they had been abandoned and betrayed by their British masters. A large military force which while not particularly effective, they lacked trained officers who were normally British, and were never fully trusted by the Japanese, did however show a strength of resistance to British rule. ITTL, if he is able to get out East very unlikely, he will find very few Indian POW’s to draw recruits from, as there just are not as many POW’s, and the few that there are will have a very different mindset. They will not feel that they have been betrayed or abandoned, but rather that they after putting up a good fight, and despite shortages only to be expected given the extent of the current conflict, gave a good account of themselves. He would be lucky to gather together enough men to make up a a small platoon, mostly made up of men who would have been a Sergeants nightmare, much as the British SS unit in Germany was. The retention of Burma, Malaya, Singapore and the majority of the DEI, is going to have a significant effect in the post war era, and should with luck ensure that at least three of the independence conflicts do not occur. While the conflict in FIC takes on a very different dimension, as the area is liberated from Japanese occupation, not by a Japanese collapse, with no immediate reoccupation, but rather by a steady military campaign. Note events in the Philippines which was already well down the road of independence, and had a functioning semi autonomous government, will be very different to those of the other colonial states.
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