2.4 Flashcards
What was the impact of the SWW on the threat on invasion
During the SWW, there was a threat of invasion
Axis forces (aided by Bose) were getting closer to invading the Indian subcontinent. By 1942, they were already attacking Indian ports, ships and aircraft
Viceroy Linlithgow confessed that if there was a land-borne invasion, India would be unable to do anything apart from a scorched-earth policy
The British were therefore keen to secure a settlement with the Indian people to maintain their full support in the war effort
What did the SWW impact
The Cripps Mission The Quit India Campaign Wavell becomes Viceroy The Bengal famine The Simla Conference
What did Cripps offer on behalf of the British government
After the war, there would be a new constitution for India. In the meantime, there would be a temporary government
States would decide their own future
What were the successes and failures of Cripps’ mission
Successes: some form of independence and choice for India
Failures: Gandhi furious wanted Cripps to go home if that was only offer, didnt accept states able to opt out
of united India, Muslim League didnt want choice of status to go to provinces, wanted auto separate state
How did Congress and the Muslim League differ in their responses to Cripps’ proposals?
Gandhi said Cripps should take a plane home, Congress rejected there being a situation where states could opt out of a united India
Jinnah was ready to accept the cripps bargain due to its implication that a separate state wouldn’t be a problem, but had to reject it if the Muslim League was to remain part of the constitution-making process
Qi:How did the British respond to the failure of the Cripps Mission
Linlithgow stepped up censorship and internets of Congress comms, realised summer 1942 civil
disobedience plan, Linlithgow planned arrest all Congress to Uganda, Gandhi to Aden, collapsed when
Aden gov refused to have Gandhi there
Qi:What differences in opinion did Congress have
Gandhi pressured Congress to support new satyagraha, independent India could make peace with Japan,
Nehru refused anything to do with supporting facism
Qi:How did Congress finally decide to react to the failing Cripps Mission
Surprised- satyagrapgha at critical time for Britain in WW2 seemed treacherous, but set Raj against Congress
and make post war reconciliation difficult (but British victory seemed unlikely in 1942)
What were the successes and failures of the Quit India Campaign for Congress
Successes - Gandhi encouraged own leaders, attack Europeans and key strategic locations - 1000 deaths, 3000 injures
Failures - 3 months to decide what to do, Congress leaders (Gandhi Nehru) arrested and imprisoned, failed to stop the British, Indian army remained loyal to the raj
What actions did Wavell take when he became Viceroy of India
Toured the subcontinent on a fact-finding mission, travelling as far as 1500km a week by plane, train, jeep and car
Focused on troubled areas, such as the Punjab, Bengal and the United Provinces
How did Wavell help the Indian cause
He reinstated regular meetings of the 11 governors of the provinces of British India - this allowed the Government of India to present the British government with coherent advice and a unified point of view, as well as making it difficult for the British government to dismiss the views of provincial governors
What happened during the Bengal Famine
The crop yield in 1943 was the worst that century and the recorded annual death rate rose above the average of 1.2mil to 1.9mil
People were dying from smallpox, malaria, cholera and pneumonia, and malnutrition diseases
The starving crowded into Calcutta, the fear of a Japanese invasion encouraged hoarding and people were scared of the famine working as a recruiting agent for the INA
It’s estimated that between 1-3 million people died during the Bengal Famine and some villages were wiped outside
How did the British government respond to the famine
Churchill originally refused to divert British merchant shipping in order to take grain to starving Bengal
Lord Cherwell claimed that the Bengal a famine was a statistical invention
Wavell took immediate action to coordinate rationing and to stop profiteering - diverting troops from the war effort to do so. By June 1944, Wavell had extracted 450000 tons of grain from a reluctant British government
How did Congress and the Muslim League respond to the famine
Jinnah accused the British government of incompetence and irresponsibility, saying Churchill’s government wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes if people had been dying of starvation in London
Congress blamed the crisis on the diversion of foodstuffs to British troops
Both Congress and the Muslim League made political capital out of the crisis
Why were Britain now prepared to agree a settlement
Britain was millions of pounds in debt to India for goods and services borrowed to help win the war
Terrorist activity and unrest in India
