Mori, T: 'Co-Prosperity' or 'Commonwealth'?

This is a study of the interplay and differingworld-views of Japan and Britain with regard toSoutheast Asia and in particular to Burma before andduring the Pacific War. The Japanese expansion into Southeast Asiaduring 1940-1945 has been a focus of muchhistoriographical and public debate in recent years.While many of existing literature focus on therelations and conflict between Japan and the UnitedStates, the essential polarity in Southeast Asia wasbetween British and Japanese imperialisms. The two countries differed markedly in as muchas the British defended the status quo while Japanaspired to a new order. Yet there was both interplayand similarity between them. Indeed, there wassymmetry in their fortunes during this period and inthe competing ideologies of 'Co-Prosperity' and'Commonwealth'. This study, produced as a doctoral thesis,examines the rise and fall of Japan's 'Greater EastAsia Co-Prosperity Sphere' and its impact on theBritish policy in Southeast Asia. The interactionsbetween Japan and Britain considered at the generallevel are also examined through a case study of Burma.