Thailand in World War II

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 25. Chapters: Military history of Thailand during World War II, Burma Campaign, Force 136, Plaek Pibulsonggram, Japanese invasion of Thailand, Franco-Thai War, Operation Krohcol, Phayap Army, Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan, Victory Monument, Bangkok, Free Thai Movement, Boonpong Sirivejjabhandu. Excerpt: The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from British India. The Burmese Independence Army initially fought for the Japanese though they later switched sides. The campaign had a number of notable features. The geographical characteristics of the region meant that factors like weather, disease and terrain had a major effect on operations. The lack of transport infrastructure placed an emphasis on military engineering and air transport to move and supply troops, and evacuate wounded. The campaign was also politically complex, with the British, Americans and Chinese all having different strategic priorities. The climate of the region is dominated by the seasonal monsoon rains, which allowed effective campaigning for only just over half of each year. This, together with other factors such as famine and disorder in British India and the priority given by the Allies to the defeat of Nazi Germany, prolonged the campaign and divided it into four phases: the Japanese invasion which led to the expulsion of British, Indian and Chinese forces in 1942; failed attempts by the Allies to mount offensives into Burma, from late 1942 to early 1944; the Japanese invasion of India which ultimately failed following the battles of Imphal and Kohima; and, finally, the successful Allied offensive which reoccupied Burma from late-1944 to mid-1945. Japanese objectives in Burma were initially limited to the capture of Rangoon, the capital and principal seaport. This would close the overland supply line to China and provide a strategic bulwark to defend Japanese gains in Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese Fifteenth Army under Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida, initially consisting of only two infantry divisions, moved into northern Thailand (