Empire of Japan (until 27 March 1945) British Empire (after 27 March 1945)
Role
Regular army (until 19 August 1945), partisan army
Size
~11,000–15,000 soldiers
Engagements
World War II
Burma Campaign
Commanders
Head of State
Ba Maw
Minister of Defence
Aung San
Military unit
Major General Aung San as Minister of Defence, 1943
The Burma Independence Army (BIA)[a] was a pro-Japanese and revolutionary army that fought for the end of British rule in Burma by assisting the Japanese in their conquest of the country in 1942 during World War II. It was the first post-colonial army in Burmese history. The BIA was formed from a group known as the Thirty Comrades under the auspices of the Imperial Japanese Army after training the Burmese nationalists in 1941. The BIA's attempts at establishing a government during the invasion led to it being dissolved by the Japanese and the smaller Burma Defence Army (BDA) formed in its place. As Japan guided Burma towards nominal independence, the BDA was expanded into the Burma National Army (BNA) of the State of Burma, a puppet state under Ba Maw, in 1943.[1]
After secret contact with the British during 1944, on 27 March 1945, the BNA revolted against the Japanese. The army received recognition as an ally from Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Mountbatten, who needed their assistance against retreating Japanese forces and to ease the strain between the army's leadership and the British. As part of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League, the BNA was re-labelled the Patriotic Burmese Forces (PBF) during a joint Allied–Burmese victory parade in Rangoon on 23 June 1945.[1] Following the war, after tense negotiations, it was decided that the PBF would be integrated into a new Burma Army under British control, but many veterans would continue under old leadership in the paramilitary People's Volunteer Organisation (PVO) in the unstable situation of post-war Burma.[1][2]
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^ abcDonald M. Seekins, Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) (Scarecrow Press, 2006), 123–26 and 354.
^Prager-Nyein, Susanne (7 September 2015). "The birth of Burma's modern army". endofempire.asia. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
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Global Information
State of Burma (until 19 August 1945)
Empire of Japan (until 27 March 1945)
British Empire (after 27 March 1945)