India - 2.4 Flashcards
1
Q
reasons why the SWW advanced nationalism
A
-the government modernised the Indian army during the 1939 re-armament strategy, giving the Indians an increased sense of self-worth and competence.
2
Q
how was India impacted by the Second World War?
A
- Japan swept through south east Asia, taking the unconquerable Singapore and situating themselves of India’s eastern borders.
- Japanese ships cruised at will around the Indian Ocean with many ports and the Bay of Bengal coming under attack from Japan’s ships
- threat of a Sea-bourne invasion was removed after US won the Battle of the Coral Sea
- Viceroy Lithlingow didn’t have the resources to prevent an advance and therefore resorted to Scorched-Earth tactics
3
Q
the Cripps Mission
A
- Sir Stafford Cripps led a delegation to India in order to secure full Indian cooperation during the war
- they offered an Indian Union constitution a dominion with the UK but not subordinate in domestic or external affairs
- an interim gov would be set up under the viceroy until the end of the war
- set up a constitution which some countries could opt out of
4
Q
how did congress respond to the Cripps Mission?
A
- Gandhi was furious, rejecting the first part of the bargain. They wouldn’t allow a situation where states could opt out of a united India
- they were prepared to join the interim government, provided the Indians controlled the defence ministry.
5
Q
how did the ML respond to the Cripps Mission?
A
- Jinnah was willing to accept it as it endorsed separatism
- However, he rejected it as he wanted to remain part of the constitution making process and therefore needed to be in keeping with congress
- it was also not specific about what powers they would get
6
Q
successes and failures of the Cripps mission
A
- Cripps was a Labour Party minister and a friend of Gandhi and Nehru
- he was sympathetic to Indian inspirations
- Lithlingow didn’t like Cripps as he feared the British would impose some sort of settlement against his advice
- they didn’t offer what congress wanted to hear and was therefore doomed to fail
7
Q
how did Lithlingow respond to failure of the Cripps Mission?
A
- hardened his approach, drafting plans to deport congress leaders to Uganda
- increased press censorship
- However, the Governor of Aden strongly objected
8
Q
Gandhi’s Quit India campaign
A
- launched a satyagraha, suggesting that India should become free and make peace with Japan. Nehru disagree as he didn’t want to endorse racism
- they wanted to make India ungovernable and make post-war reconciliation challenging
9
Q
successes of the Quit India Campaign
A
- riots, killing and attacks on Europeans were nationwide
- thousands of local activists were imprisoned after having their offices raided, showing that they were being taken seriously.
- Gandhi urged everyone to be their own leader, launching a series of riots on British people and go property
- police stations targeted and railway tracks taken up
10
Q
failures of the Quit India Campaign
A
- failed to paralyse the gov and the military remained loyal to the Raj (only 216 left the regiment without requesting leave)
- 1000 deaths
- Gandhi, Nehru and other congress leaders were arrested meaning that they lost their figurehead.
11
Q
Wavell becoming viceroy
A
- became viceroy in 1943
- he toured India on a fact-finding mission, travelling 1,500Km per week to settle disputes and boost morale
- reinstated regular meetings of the 11 governors of the provinces.
- This allowed the Government of India to present Britain with coherent advice, making it harder to dismiss views of provincial governors
- he was instructed to hold the line
12
Q
causes of the Bengal famine
A
- poor harvests and severe weather conditions
- loss of imports
- wartime inflation
13
Q
what happened during the Bengal Famine?
A
- the annual death rate rose from 1.2-1.9 million with more dying from diseases such as cholera and malnutrition
- thousands gathered in Calcutta in desperate hope of finding relief
- people hoarded food due to the fear of a Japanese invasion.
- people were worried it would act as a recurring army for the INA
- this was exacerbated by Churchill’s scorched earth policies as it removed the fishing industry and depleted rice stocks
14
Q
how did Wavell respond to the Bengal famine?
A
- coordinated rationing to stop profiteering, diverting troops from the war effort to do so
- requested for 1 million tonnes of grain, eventually getting the British to compromise on 450,000
- Churchill refused to divert merchant ships
15
Q
How did Congress and the Muslim League respond to the Bengal famine?
A
- they blamed it on the diversion of goods to British troops
- Jinnah suggested that they were being irresponsible as they wouldn’t let the same occur in Britain.
16
Q
How did the Bengal famine contribute to demands for change?
A
- Britain’s disregard for the well-being of India
- it gives them a bargaining chip in negotiations
- if Britain recognised that Indian contributions to the war effort caused the famine, they may be more sympathetic
- represented a power imbalance. famine could be tolerated in India but bread rationing in Britain could not. This showed that as long as India was part of Britain’s empire, they would never be prioritised.
17
Q
why did the Simla conference in spring 1945 come about?
A
-the British government were willing to compromise because Britain was in millions of pounds of debt to India for goods and services and there had been an increase in terrorist activity
18
Q
what was proposed at the Simla conference of Spring 1945?
A
- Wavell proposed an executive council with balanced representation of the main communities (same number of Hindus and Muslims)
- this meant that the top leaders of the country would now be Indian (more than just provincial power)
- all Indian men bar the commander in chief and the head of army
- 21 political leaders attended
19
Q
how did congress and the muslim league respond to the Simla Conference of spring 1945?
A
- parity with muslims would inflate their cause and upset congress
- congress saw themselves as an inclusive party and therefore didn’t want all muslim members to be from the Muslim League
- the conference adjourned due to a deadlock between the two bodies
20
Q
why was the Muslim League responsible for the failure of negotiations between 1942-45?
A
- Jinnah rejected the Cripp’s Mission.
- at the Simla Conference Jinnah was adamant that the Muslim League should be the only muslim representatives
- During the Bengal famine, Jinnah blamed it on Churchill, increasing tensions
- The growth of the Muslim League in itself was problematic as it posed questions about whom power should be transferred to
21
Q
why was Congress responsible for the failure of negotiations between 1942-45?
A
- Quit India Campaign where Gandhi resorted to outdated methods
- Divisions in Congress (e.g. Between Gandhi and Nehru) meant that they were disunited
- Alliance with Japan disrupted alliance with Britain
- Gandhi was stubborn and though he represented everyone
22
Q
why were the British responsible for the failure of negotiations between 1942-45?
A
- initiated talks during this period, however none of them had a timescale
- they increased censorship and repression (e.g. the Quit India)
- proposed executive council (this was v significant), yet gave up during the deadlock instead of trying to amend these issues
- Britain only compromised when they needed something (e.g. support in the war) and they’re not offering independence
- perhaps, there is a differentiation between the Viceroy and those in Whitehall, however
23
Q
similarities between the impact of WW1 and the impact of WW2
A
- the Indians volunteered lots of supplies
- they were made a promise of some benefit in both and therefore a trigger point for nationalism (however, the success of this differed)
- domestic impacts were similar in that there were food shortages
- British responded with repression
- decision were controversial in Britain (e.g. the 1919 GoIA and the Bengal Famine)
- sympathetic viceroys
24
Q
differences between the impact of WW1 and the impact of WW2
A
- gave more support in the SWW
- SWW was offering constitutional change much more readily (independence not just self-governance)
- India wasn’t united in SWW (Bose sided with Hitler)
- Indian unity after the FWW (e.g. the Lucknow Pact), whereas there was a disunited India after the SWW
25
Q
How did the Great Depression influence the situation in India?
A
- British investments in India had fallen in the 1930s meaning that entrepreneurs were taking the lead in investing in their own country
- Indian government had put increasingly high tariffs on imported goods, meaning that home-based cotton was cheaper
26
Q
how did international competition influence the situation in India?
A
- fewer British goods were being sent to India (in 8 years the amount Indians spent on imports dropped from £86 million to £39 million per annum
- this was due to competition from Japanese and American manufactures
- this meant that there was an export crisis from the British and the Indian economy was becoming more buoyant
- this increased self sufficiency, reducing dependency on Britain
