To What Extent Did The Second World War Impact On Indian Politics? Flashcards
When was the fall of Singapore?
15 February 1942
Why was the fall of Singapore shocking?
It was deemed unconquerable
What did the Fall of Saigon mean?
The whole of Asia now lay open to the Japanese
Where did the Japanese capture in March?
Pushed on into Burma, capturing Rangoon
Where did the Japanese capture 6 weeks after capturing Rangoon?
Mandalay
What was the declared aim of the Japanese?
Freeing Asians from European rule
What parts of India came under attack from Japanese? (3)
- Calcutta
- Madras
- other ports along the Bay of Bengal
What did Viceroy Linlithgow confess to?
That he did not have sufficient armed forces in India to hold out against a Japanese landing on the Cuttack coast and could not prevent an advance into Orissa
When was the sea-borne threat to India removed?
When the US Navy defeated the Japanese at the Battle of the Coral Sea at the beginning of May 1942
What were war debts running at per day for Britain?
£70 million per day
What else left Britain economically disadvantaged?
The war left India in a state of devastation and an enormous reconstruction program was needed
Sir Stafford Cripps: (4)
- Labour Party minister
- Friend of Nehru and Gandhi
- Sympathetic to Indian aspirations
- Well liked in Congress circles
When did Cripps arrive in New Delhi?
March 1942
What did the British offer in the Cripps mission? (2)
- An interim government of India that would have the power to make decisions on all matters except defence, foreign affairs, and communications
- Offered to grant full dominion status to India after the war
Gandhi’s response to the Cripps mission:
Furious
What was the Cripps mission an example of?
Another sign that Britain would cling on to India at all costs
Jinnah’s response to the Cripps Mission:
Had to reject it if the Muslim League was to remain part of the constitution-making process
After the failure of the Cripps Mission, what did Linlithgow do?
Stepped up press censorship and intercepts of Congress communications
What was Linlithgow’s misguided plan?
To arrest all the Congress leaders and deport them to Uganda, with Gandhi being sent to Aden
What was the divide between Gandhi and Nehru in terms of Japan?
- Gandhi was pressuring Congress to support a new satyagraha and argued if India became free it could make peace with Japan
- Congress and Nehru refused as they did not want to have anything to do with fascism
When was the Quit India campaign launched
August 1942
A day after the launch of the Quit India campaign, what happened to Gandhi, Nehru and most of the Congress party’s leaders?
They were arrested and interned
Gandhi, who had anticipated getting arrested, ordered many to what?
Urged every demonstrator to become his or her own leader
After the mass arrests, what occurred during the Quit India campaign?
Horrific rounds of riots, killings, attacks on Europeans and damage to government property
How many deaths and serious injuries occurred due to the Quit India Campaign?
Over a 1,000 deaths
Over 3,000 serious injuries
How many Indian soldiers had gone absent, effectively going against the British?
Only 216 soldiers
How many people were arrested without trial and denied visits during the Quit India campaign?
500
What had Britain lost during the Quit India Campaign?
Lost their moral authority within India and with US public opinion, which saw the British as more interested in preserving their empire than defeating the common enemies of democracy
Was the Quit India Campaign a success?
It failed to paralyse the government and the military had remained loyal to the Raj
Archibald Wavell:
Military man
How did Wavell start his time in office?
Toured the sub-continent on a fact-finding mission, focusing on troubled areas
How many km a week did Wavell travel?
1,500 km
What was Wavell’s first move in office?
Reinstate regular meetings of the 11 governors of the provinces of British India.
When was the Bengal Famine?
1943-44
Causes of the Bengal Famine: (5)
- Poor harvests
- Distribution failures
- Loss of imports
- Wartime price inflation
- Severe weather conditions
Crop yield in 1943:
The worst in the century
Annual death rate increase during the Bengal Famine?
Rose from an average of 1.2 million people to 1.9 million people
Reaction of Churchill and Roosevelt to the Bengal Famine:
Both refused to lend resources as they were afraid of damaging their own war effort
How many people died in the three years of the Bengal Famine?
1 - 3 million
By June 1944, how many tons of grain did Wavell extract from the government?
450,000
When was the Simla Conference?
1945
Why was another attempt at a constitutional settlement made under Wavell? (2)
- Britain was in millions of pounds in debt to India for goods and services borrowed to help win the war
- Terrorist activity and unrest
What was the major change Wavell was promising?
A change to the composition of his Executive Council
How did Wavell plan to change the Executive Council?
There would be a balance representation of the main communities, including equal proportions of Muslims and Hindus
Was the Simla Conference a success?
NO
Why did the Simla Conference fail?
Congress’ strict line approach meant that they maintained to be the voice for all India including the Muslim league