A state unwilling to defend an empire properly should reduce the commitment rather than maintain it on paper. In this interpretation, French weakness after the First World War came partly from colonies and naval responsibilities that were not matched by sufficient preparation. Britain made a comparable error in the Far East by underestimating how quickly a modern campaign could unfold. Malaya's terrain offered defensible positions, but a strategy of holding until the fleet arrived required those positions to be prepared in advance. Incomplete commitment can consume more lives and resources than either serious defence or deliberate withdrawal.
Notable Point · 1:32:20-1:35:11
Empire without adequate defensive preparation
France and Britain retained far-flung commitments while underfunding the forces and positions needed to defend them, making wartime failure more costly than an honest strategic retrenchment.