India 1943-47

Question 1

in 1943, who became Viceroy?

Answer 1

Field Marshall Archibald Wavell

Question 2

What caused the Bengal famine (5)

Answer 2

• poor harvests
• distribution failures
• loss of imports
• wartime price inflation
• severe weather conditions

Question 3

record annual death rate rising in 1943

Answer 3

from 1.2 million to 1.9 million

Question 4

What did the British worry about the Bengal famine

Answer 4

worried that the famine would encourage support for Japan and the INA

Question 5

Who did AIM and Congress blame for the famine

Answer 5

the British- generated further support for nationalism

Question 6

What did Churchill and Roosevelt refuse to do in reaction to the famine (3)

Answer 6

• refused to divert boats to supply grain
• although Wavell requested a million tons of grain
• in 1944 only offered 250,000 tons (although eventually secured 450,00)

Question 7

How was Wavell a different Viceroy

Answer 7

• previously based in India, had a better understanding
• embarked on a fact-finding mission; travelling as much as 1,5000 km a week, focusing on troubled areas
• reinstated regular meetings of the 11 governors

Question 8

How many died in the Bengal famine

Answer 8

estimated 3 million people

Question 9

Churchill as a barrier to progress (4)

Answer 9

• Wavell commented that Churchill ‘hates India and everything to do with it’
• rejected Wavell’s request for an Indian Finance Minister on the Executive Council
• Churchill dismissed commitments Britain had made, stating “no obligation to honour promises made at a time of difficulty”
• only had the support of 43 MPs

Question 10

What caused the 1944-5 change in approach (3)

Answer 10

• economic challenges
• Roosevelt’s death (next president might not be so patient)
• Military Success and Increasing pressure

Question 11

How did military success cause an increase in pressure

Answer 11

• by summer 1944, clear that the war was being won
• with military victory in sight, clear that pressure woul resume for discussion of the post-war political situation

Question 12

What did Wavell propose in the Simla conference

Answer 12

• offered equal proportions of Muslims and Hindus on the Executive Council
• all members Indian, with the exception of the Viceroy and the Commander-in-chief

Question 13

Political leaders who arrived at the Simla conference

Answer 13

• 21 Indian political leaders
  Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, Azad (Muslim president of Congress), Jinnah

Question 14

What caused a deadlock in the Simla Conferene (3)

Answer 14

• issue of how many Muslim members of the reconstituted Executive Council were to be chosen
• Jinnah insisted they must all be nominated by the Muslim League
• Congress could not accept; maintained that Congress was an inclusive party, Muslims should be able to represent Congress as well as the Muslim League

Question 15

What is the Simla Conference evidence of

Answer 15

• Strengthened position of the League
• Ongoing obstacle of communal divisions
• Ongoing barrier presented by Churchill (determined not to be the PM who ‘lost’ India)

Question 16

What happened in July 1945

Answer 16

• Labour Party won the general election
• Clement Attlee became PM

Question 17

How was Labour winning the general election a positive for Indian independance

Answer 17

-Removed one of the biggest barriers- Churchill
-Close links between Congress and the Labour Party e.g Cripps and Nehru
-Strong relationships offered hope that settlement could be reached

Question 18

How was Labour winning the general election a negative for Indian independence

Answer 18

• Muslim League did not have close ties with any British Party
• Became suspicious that Labour were anti-Muslim
• harder to build trust needed for political settlement