Managing the Media in the India-Burma War, 1941–1945

Description

This book explores how the media was used by the armed forces during the India-Burma campaigns of WWII to project the most positive image to domestic and international audiences of a war that often seemed neglected or misunderstood. Discussing how soldiers were, for the first time, able to access newspapers and radio broadcasts relating stories of the campaigns they were actively fighting in, Managing the Media in the India-Burma War reveals not only the impact that the media had in maintaining troop morale, but how the military recognised that the media could be a valuable arm of warfare. Revealing how troops responded to reports of their operations, Philip Woods demonstrates the role of the media in creating the ‘Forgotten Army’ syndrome, which came about in the last two years of the Burma campaign. Focusing on the British Media, but with examples from the United States and India, including Indian war correspondents, it discusses India’s role in the Second World War in relation to social, economic and political developments at the time. Honing in on India and Burma at a turning point in their road to independence, this book offers a fresh angle on a well-known military conflict, unpicks the various constraints and influences on the media in wartime, and links the campaign to India’s crucial role in WWII. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Figures Maps Acknowledgements Abbreviations Colonial-Era Names 1 Introduction A ‘Forgotten War’ Media interest in the Burma War Changing historiography of the India-Burma War Is media management in wartime just another term for propaganda? Why is media management important? 2 Media Covering the War in India-Burma 1. Role of the telegraph agencies 2. Newspapers 3. Visual media 4. Broadcasting Conclusion 3 Managing the Media in the Burma Retreat, 1942 General Stilwell and American reporting How did journalists respond to this humiliating retreat? What methods did the army and government use to manage the media during the retreat and its aftermath? Conclusion 4 Managing Media Coverage of the First Arakan Campaign, 1943 5 Media Coverage of Operation Longcloth: Wingate’s First Expedition into Burma, 1943 6 Mountbatten Takes Charge: Publicity and Censorship SEAC forces’ newspaper Phoenix magazine Censorship Stuart Gelder and the challenge to the ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ with China Geoffrey Tebbutt convinces Mountbatten 7 Allies of a Kind: Public Relations Officers at War China’s war aims American war aims British war aims Problems of command structure exacerbate differences Mountbatten and Stilwell – their use of the press British and American uses of the media under SEAC Myitkyina Conclusion 8 Reporting the War, 1944 1. Arakan – the Admin Box 2. Wingate 2, ‘Operation Thursday 3. Imphal and Kohima 4. Indian war correspondents report the 1944 campaigns 5. Stilwell advances to Myitkyina Conclusion 9 Broadcasting: BBC, All India Radio and Radio SEAC The BBC sends war correspondents to Burma Radio SEAC 10 The ‘Forgotten Army’? Stepping up Publicity for the 14th Army The use of officer observers British public attitudes to the war in Burma The propaganda campaign in the USA The propaganda campaign suffers setbacks 11 Film and Photography in SEAC Mountbatten and the movies Forming a SEAC film unit A joint Anglo-American production The Americans and British decide to make their own films The two films are finally released Forces’ film and photographic units Newsreels 12 Race to Rangoon and Victory, 1945 British advance by land and sea Advance from the Irrwawaddy to Mandalay and Meiktila Advance to Rangoon Victory raised new problems Conclusion 13 Conclusion What lessons for army media management were learnt during the India-Burma War? Did the media act as propagandists for the armed forces? Was this a ‘Forgotten War’? What part did the media play in improving soldier morale in Burma? Notes Bibliography Index