At the end of World War I the British Empire reached its largest extent in terms of territory and population. The government was reluctant to devote large resources to defense and to contemplate sending large forces to Europe in case of a new war. British forces were constantly involved in dealing with threats to imperial interests. The advent of aggressive powers - Germany Italy and Japan - forced the government to contemplate and prepare for a new World War. This book examines the government's war plans in detail.