Empire examined

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 21

Empire examined

The largest empire in the history of the world ended within living 1 memory. Between 1947, when India gained her longsought independence, and 1980, when Southern Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, the British Empire effectively ceased to exist. It was the largest empire of all time — both in size and in population. Not every hand-over of power was peaceful — or glorious. Each new-born nation had its story, often a story of struggle, violence and humiliation. In some cases independence was achieved smoothly. “End of Empire,’’ a series of 14 programmes starting tomorrow (Sunday) at 10 p.m. on One, sets out to tell the most exciting stories, to chronicle the events which led to the British departure — the clashes, the battles both political and military, the conces-

sions and the defeats. Many of those who took these momentous decisions are still living to tell their stories. Some, including Mrs Indira Gandhi, daughter of India’s nationalist leader Jawaharlal Nehru, and Lord Boyd, Colonial Secretary from 1954 to 1959, have died since “End of Empire” filmed interviews with them. Archive film gives an additional dimension to' the record. Tonight’s opening episode of this epic series — which has taken Granada Television teams all over the world, researching and filming since 1981 — looks at “The Beginning of the End.” It sets the scene with Britain’s military and naval power declining until the imperial structure received the blow, that started the final collapse: the surrender of 130,000 British Empire troops to a quarter as

many Japanese at Singapore in February 1942. The Empire had not long to last