×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

Ba Maw file photo [5286]

Ba Maw

Given NameBa Maw
Born8 Feb 1893
Died29 May 1977
CountryBurma
CategoryGovernment
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseBa Maw was born in Maubin, Burma to U Kye, a government official. He spent his younger years studying in a Catholic school in Rangoon, then went on to attend Rangoon College and Calcutta University in India. He also spent time at Cambridge University in Britain. He became an attorney and gained fame defending the captured rebel leader Saya San, who led a peasant revolt against the British rulers. This case allowed him to springboard into a career in politics. He advocated the importance of self-rule, and ultimately the independence of Burma from British rule. He served as education minister, and in 1937 became the first Prime Minister of Burma. After he left office in 1939, he was arrested by the British on charges of sedition for his opposition for his country to entering WW2 and fight for the British.

ww2dbaseThe Japanese invasion of Burma in Jan 1942 saw Burma's entry into WW2. The Japanese freed him and successfully courted for his support. On 1 Aug 1942, he was named the head of the Japanese puppet government in Burma; later that month, he declared war against the Allied powers. Initially, he believed in the Japanese vision of a theoretically independent Burma and helped to spread the propaganda that Japan was in Burma to free the country of western imperialism. He quickly pierced the veil himself, turning uncooperative. Eventually, he turned his effort toward protecting his countrymen against Japanese maltreatment. When the Japanese forces in the region collapsed in early 1945, Ba Maw's government fell apart, and he retreated for Japan. He was captured by American occupation forces after Japan's surrender, and was jailed briefly in Japan before he returned to Burma.

ww2dbaseBa Maw remained in Burmese politics after the war. He passed away in Rangoon in 1977.

ww2dbaseSources: Encyclopædia Britannica, Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Nov 2007

Ba Maw Interactive Map

Photographs

Ba Maw in traditional Burmese clothing at King George VI coronation, Westminster Abbey, London, England, United Kingdom, 12 May 1937Ba Maw having just been awarded Order of the Rising Sun, Mar 1943
See all 8 photographs of Ba Maw

Ba Maw Timeline

8 Feb 1893 Ba Maw was born in Maubin, Irrawady Division, Burma.
6 Aug 1940 Ba Maw, the pro-Japanese anti-British former Premier of Burma, was arrested for attacking Premier U Pu's policy of supporting Britain in the war against Germany. Ba Maw received a one year jail sentence.
1 Aug 1942 Anti-British nationalist leader Ba Maw installed a Japanese puppet government in Burma.
12 Aug 1945 An Allied air raid targeted Ba Maw's home in Burma in an attempt to assassinate him. Ba Maw and his colleague Thakin Nu, who was also present at the house, escaped unharmed.
29 May 1977 Ba Maw passed away in Yangon, Burma.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
More on Ba Maw
Event(s) Participated:
» Greater East Asia Conference



Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!