World War II remains the defining event in modern world history. We are still being influenced by its ramifications. Indias manpower and financial resources enabled the British Empire in particular and the Allies in general not only to survive but also to win against the Axis powers. The Indian troops fought from Hong Kong in the east upto Italy in the west. And the armed forces of independent India and Pakistan were forged in this struggle which some historians categorize as Total War. Till now, there has been no overall comprehensive study of the Indian armed forces in World War II. This monograph based on archival data studies the complex interrelationship between Indian armed forces, society and Second World War. The book tells us which communities joined the Indian armed forces, why they remained loyal to the Raj and how they defeated the Japanese in Burma, and the Italians and the Germans in Africa and in Italy.