Japanese invasion of Burma

Japanese conquest of Burma
Part of the Burma Campaign of World War II
Troops of Japanese Fifteenth Army on the border of Burma
Date January – May 1942 Location Burma Result Axis victory End of British rule in Burma Establishment of the State of Burma Territorial changes Japanese occupation of Burma, Thailand occupation of Shan State
Belligerents
Allies:  United Kingdom  India British Burma China  United States	Axis:  Japan Thailand Burma National Army
Commanders and leaders
Archibald Wavell Thomas Hutton Harold Alexander Luo Zhuoying	Shojiro Iida J.R. Seriroengrit Aung San
Strength
95,000 42,000–47,000	85,000
Casualties and losses
50,000 killed, captured, or missing 95 aircraft (AVG) 1,499 killed 11,964 wounded 30,000 total casualties 116 aircraft (RAF) ~100 tanks	4,597 killed and wounded 117 aircraft

Axis victory

Allies:

Axis:

The Japanese conquest of Burma was the opening chapter of the Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II, which took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign, the Japanese Army (with aid from Thai forces and Burmese insurgents) drove British Empire and Chinese forces out of Burma, then began the Japanese occupation of Burma and formed a nominally independent Burmese administrative government.

Before the Second World War broke out, Burma was part of the British Empire, having been progressively occupied and annexed following three Anglo-Burmese wars in the 19th century. Initially governed as part of British India, Burma was formed into a separate colony under the Government of India Act 1935. Under British rule, there had been substantial economic development but the majority Bamar community was becoming increasingly restive. Among their concerns were the importation of Indian workers to provide a labour force for many of the new industries, and the erosion of traditional society in the countryside as land was used for plantations of export crops or became mortgaged to Indian moneylenders. Pressure for independence was growing. When Burma came under attack, the Bamar were unwilling to contribute to the defence of the British establishment, and many readily joined movements which aided the Japanese.

British plans for the defence of British Far Eastern possessions involved the construction of airfields linking Singapore and Malaya with India. These plans had not taken into account the fact that Britain was also at war with Germany, and when Japan entered the war, the forces needed to defend these possessions were not available. Burma had been regarded as a military "backwater", unlikely to be subjected to Japanese threat.

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