Post War
At the end of the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world’s first ‘superpowers’. In contrast, Britain’s world role was declining. Britain had fought the war in the cause of freedom for all nations. A large colonial empire was therefore no longer considered acceptable in a post-war world. The legacy of Britain’s colonial past meant that the reality of transferring power and independence was complicated and many people became impatient with the pace of change and conflict flared. The Gordon Highlanders were stationed in countries such as Malaya, Borneo and Cyprus. In Cyprus they fought against a terrorist war waged by political groups intent on removing the British.