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posite. The country was renamed the State of Burma and a puppet government installed, but
real independence remained as distant as ever. Increasingly disgruntled, Aung San (who had
servedaswarministerandheadofthearmyintheJapanese-sponsoredgovernment)puthim-
self and the Burmese National Army (of which he was now commander) at the service of the
British.
The Allied counterattack
Allied attempts to retake Burma following the Japanese occupation were put on hold, the
battles in Europe and the Middle East being considered of more pressing importance, while
political disturbances and famine in Bengal were also tying up large numbers of troops. It
was not until October 1943 that a combined force of British, Indian, African, American and
Chinese soldiers began moving back into northern Burma. Progress through the jungles was
slow and difficult, but by May 1944 the airfield at Myitkyina had been taken, establishing an
air link with India and China. At the same time the Japanese launched a counterattack, at-
temptingtodrivethroughtoImphal,thecapitalofManipurinBritishIndia,buttheiradvance
was halted at
Kohima
, and they were forced to retreat with heavy losses - most caused by
disease, starvation and exhaustion.
The tide slowly turned. Japanese forces fell back from the Chindwin to the Ayeyarwady.
Allied troops were sent into Rakhine while Chinese forces moved south to Bhamo, followed
by a decisive push into central Burma, with the Allies now able to make the most of their
superior numbers and air power in the flat central plains.
Meiktila
fell in March 1945 after
a devastating battle during which most of the town was destroyed and almost every member
of the Japanese garrison killed, while
Mandalay
was captured shortly afterwards, following
further fierce fighting which left much of the historic old town in ruins. Simultaneously, the
Burmese National Army led by Aung San rose up against the Japanese. Allied forces now
proceeded with increasing speed towards
Rangoon
, following the rapidly repeating Japan-
ese. Gurkha and Indian forces arriving in Rangoon on May 1 discovered that the Japanese
had already abandoned the city and fled.
To independence
Four years of fighting had left the country in physical and economic tatters, with estimates
ofthenumberofcivilianswhodiedduringtheJapaneseoccupationrangingfrom170,000up
to a quarter of a million. Following the Japanese surrender, the
Anti-Fascist Organisation
(AFO)
-whichAungSanhadfoundedin1944alongwithothersincludingfutureprimemin-
ister Ba Swe, socialist leader Thakin Soe, communist leader Than Tun and old student com-
rade U Nu - emerged as the leading mouthpiece for Burmese nationalist aspirations.
Two years of uncertainty followed, as the British attempted to stall demands for immediate
independence and Burmese communists, socialists and conservatives manoeuvred for posi-
tion.InJanuary1947AungSanledanAFOteamtoLondon,signinganagreementwithBrit-
