The Japanese invasion of Burma (December 1941-May 1942) was one of their last major successes on land during the Second World War (outside China), and saw weak British and Indian forces and their Chinese allies forced out of the country in a campaign that lasted six months but that was decided much quicker.
At the start of the campaign the British had two weak divisions available for the defence of Burma. The 1st Burma Division (General Bruce Scott) was posted in the Shan States, to protect against a Japanese advance north-west towards the Burma Road, while the 17th (Black Cat) Division (General Sir John Smyth) was posted in the south-east. In January 1942 this division contained the 16th Indian and 2nd Burma Brigades. General Wavell had overall command, and once the fighting began he appointed his chief of staff, General Tom Hutton, to command the Burma Army.
In late December 1941 General Wavell visited Chiang Kai-Shek in Chungking, and was offered the Chinese 5th and 6th Armies. If the offer had been accepted at that date then the campaign in Burma might have ended very differently, but at that point Wavell was not willing to have Burma saved by Chinese troops, and so only one division was accepted. This irritated Chiang, and made cooperation much harder when the two armies were eventually accepted.
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