Celebratedasatradingport,HongKongwasalsoBritain’s“easternfortress”.LikenedbymanytoGibraltarandMalta,thecolonywasavitalbutvulnerablelinkinimperialstrategy,exposedtoasuccessionofenemiesinaturbulentageandatroubledregion.ThisbookexaminesHongKong’sdevelopingroleintheVictorianimperialdefencesystem,theemergingchallengesfromRussia,France,theUnitedStates,Germany,Japanandotherpowers,andpreparationsintheyearsleadinguptotheSecondWorldWar.AdetailedchapteroffersnewinterpretationsoftheBattleofHongKongof1941,whenthecolonysuccumbedtotheJapaneseinvasion.TheremainingchaptersdiscussHongKong’schangingstrategicroleduringtheColdWarandthewindingdownofthemilitarypresence.Thebooknotonlyfocusesonpoliciesandevents,butalsoexploresthesociallifeofthegarrisoninHongKong,thestrugglesbetweenmilitaryandcivilauthorities,andrelationsbetweenthearmedforcesandciviliansinHongKong.
Drawingonoriginalresearchinarchivesaroundtheworld,includingEnglish,Japanese,andChinesesources,thisisthefirstfull-lengthstudyofthedefenceofHongKongfromthebeginningofthecolonialperiodtotheendofBritishmilitaryinterestsEastofSuezin1970.Illustratedwithimagesanddetailedmaps,EasternFortresswillbeofinteresttobothstudentsofhistoryandgeneralreaders.
FORTRESS KONG Germany France Japanese HISTORY HONG
