Postage stamps and postal history of Singapore British colonial rule, Singapore grew in importance rapidly becoming a major port city. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. After the war, Singapore reverted to British control, with increasing levels of self-government being granted, culminating in Singapore's merger with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. Singapore became an independent republic on 9 August 1965. Singapore was originally part of the Straits Settlements and used the colony's stamps. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese between 1942 and 1945. After the surrender of the Japanese Occupation forces at
Nazi crimes against the Polish nation Nazi crimes against the Polish nation Crimes against the Polish nation committed by Nazi Germany and collaborationist forces during the invasion of Poland, along with auxiliary battalions during the subsequent occupation of Poland in World War II, consisted of the systematic extermination of Jewish Poles and the murder of millions of (non-Jewish) ethnic Poles. The Germans justified these genocides on the basis of Nazi racial theory, which depicted Jews as a constant threat and regarded Poles and other Slavs as racially inferior "Untermenschen". By 1942 the Nazis were implementing their plan to kill every Jew in German-occupied Europe, and had