Cerca
Percorso: USC Shoah Foundation Institute Thesaurus
Descrittore
Termine preferito
(PIQ) Regno Unito CercaDefinizione
Location: Largest island of the British Isles, located in the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of France.
Capital city: London
History:
In WWI, the United Kingdom (UK; renamed in 1922) was a member of the Allies with France, Russia and the USA. Great Britain became a destination for Jews fleeing Nazi persecution from 1933 to 1945. The Kindertransport organization rescued over 10,000 Jewish children from countries such as Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia and placed them in foster homes throughout the UK. After Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, the United Kingdom joined France in declaring war on Germany. After the surrender of France in June 1940, the United Kingdom and the British Empire continued the war effort alone. The success of the British Royal Air Force in the "Battle of Britain" (July to October 1940) staved off the immediate threat of a German invasion but, from September 1940, London and other British cities endured heavy bombing. German and Austrian nationals were interned in camps in England and the Isle of Man. In June 1941 the USSR was invaded by Germany and became an ally of Britain. In December 1941, the United States also entered the war against Germany after it was attacked by Germany's ally, Japan. The British armed forces participated in the major battles of the European theater and in North Africa and Prime Minister Churchill emerged as a popular leader and symbol of Britain. After the war, Britain began a decades-long process of relinquishing the majority of its colonies. The British mandate in Palestine was ended with the establishment of Israel in 1948. The government remained a constitutional monarchy. (en-US)
Fonte
Cohen, Saul B., ed. The Columbia Gazetteer of the World. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. pp. 1158-1160