End of the British Mandate in Palestine

In the years following World War II, Britain's control over Palestine became increasingly tenuous. This was caused by a combination of factors, including the costs of maintaining an army of over 100,000 men in Palestine, which weighed heavily on a British economy suffering from post-war depression. Rapid deterioration due to the actions of Jewish paramilitary organizations (Hagana, Irgun, and Lehi), involving attacks on strategic installations as well as on British forces and officials, caused severe damage to British morale and prestige. The U.S. Congress delayed a loan necessary to prevent British bankruptcy in response to the British refusal to fulfill a promise given to Truman that 100,000 Holocaust survivors would be allowed to emigrate to Palestine. In early 1947, the British Government announced their desire to terminate the Mandate and asked the United Nations General Assembly to make recommendations regarding the future of the country. The British Administration planned to terminate its mandate on 15 May 1948.