To What Extent Did The Second World War Impact On Indian Politics?

Question 1

When was the fall of Singapore?

Answer 1

15 February 1942

Question 2

Why was the fall of Singapore shocking?

Answer 2

It was deemed unconquerable

Question 3

What did the Fall of Saigon mean?

Answer 3

The whole of Asia now lay open to the Japanese

Question 4

Where did the Japanese capture in March?

Answer 4

Pushed on into Burma, capturing Rangoon

Question 5

Where did the Japanese capture 6 weeks after capturing Rangoon?

Answer 5

Mandalay

Question 6

What was the declared aim of the Japanese?

Answer 6

Freeing Asians from European rule

Question 7

What parts of India came under attack from Japanese? (3)

Answer 7

• Calcutta
• Madras
• other ports along the Bay of Bengal

Question 8

What did Viceroy Linlithgow confess to?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

When was the sea-borne threat to India removed?

Answer 9

When the US Navy defeated the Japanese at the Battle of the Coral Sea at the beginning of May 1942

Question 10

What were war debts running at per day for Britain?

Answer 10

£70 million per day

Question 11

What else left Britain economically disadvantaged?

Answer 11

The war left India in a state of devastation and an enormous reconstruction program was needed

Question 12

Sir Stafford Cripps: (4)

Answer 12

• Labour Party minister
• Friend of Nehru and Gandhi
• Sympathetic to Indian aspirations
• Well liked in Congress circles

Question 13

When did Cripps arrive in New Delhi?

Answer 13

March 1942

Question 14

What did the British offer in the Cripps mission? (2)

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Gandhi’s response to the Cripps mission:

Answer 15

Furious

Question 16

What was the Cripps mission an example of?

Answer 16

Another sign that Britain would cling on to India at all costs

Question 17

Jinnah’s response to the Cripps Mission:

Answer 17

Had to reject it if the Muslim League was to remain part of the constitution-making process

Question 18

After the failure of the Cripps Mission, what did Linlithgow do?

Answer 18

Stepped up press censorship and intercepts of Congress communications

Question 19

What was Linlithgow’s misguided plan?

Answer 19

To arrest all the Congress leaders and deport them to Uganda, with Gandhi being sent to Aden

Question 20

What was the divide between Gandhi and Nehru in terms of Japan?

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

When was the Quit India campaign launched

Answer 21

August 1942

Question 22

A day after the launch of the Quit India campaign, what happened to Gandhi, Nehru and most of the Congress party’s leaders?

Answer 22

They were arrested and interned

Question 23

Gandhi, who had anticipated getting arrested, ordered many to what?

Answer 23

Urged every demonstrator to become his or her own leader

Question 24

After the mass arrests, what occurred during the Quit India campaign?

Answer 24

Horrific rounds of riots, killings, attacks on Europeans and damage to government property

Question 25

How many deaths and serious injuries occurred due to the Quit India Campaign?

Answer 25

Over a 1,000 deaths
Over 3,000 serious injuries

Question 26

How many Indian soldiers had gone absent, effectively going against the British?

Answer 26

Only 216 soldiers

Question 27

How many people were arrested without trial and denied visits during the Quit India campaign?

Answer 27

500

Question 28

What had Britain lost during the Quit India Campaign?

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Was the Quit India Campaign a success?

Answer 29

It failed to paralyse the government and the military had remained loyal to the Raj

Question 30

Archibald Wavell:

Answer 30

Military man

Question 31

How did Wavell start his time in office?

Answer 31

Toured the sub-continent on a fact-finding mission, focusing on troubled areas

Question 32

How many km a week did Wavell travel?

Answer 32

1,500 km

Question 33

What was Wavell’s first move in office?

Answer 33

Reinstate regular meetings of the 11 governors of the provinces of British India.

Question 34

When was the Bengal Famine?

Answer 34

1943-44

Question 35

Causes of the Bengal Famine: (5)

Answer 35

• Poor harvests
• Distribution failures
• Loss of imports
• Wartime price inflation
• Severe weather conditions

Question 36

Crop yield in 1943:

Answer 36

The worst in the century

Question 37

Annual death rate increase during the Bengal Famine?

Answer 37

Rose from an average of 1.2 million people to 1.9 million people

Question 38

Reaction of Churchill and Roosevelt to the Bengal Famine:

Answer 38

Both refused to lend resources as they were afraid of damaging their own war effort

Question 39

How many people died in the three years of the Bengal Famine?

Answer 39

1 - 3 million

Question 40

By June 1944, how many tons of grain did Wavell extract from the government?

Answer 40

450,000

Question 41

When was the Simla Conference?

Answer 41

1945

Question 42

Why was another attempt at a constitutional settlement made under Wavell? (2)

Answer 42

• Britain was in millions of pounds in debt to India for goods and services borrowed to help win the war
• Terrorist activity and unrest

Question 43

What was the major change Wavell was promising?

Answer 43

A change to the composition of his Executive Council

Question 44

How did Wavell plan to change the Executive Council?

Answer 44

There would be a balance representation of the main communities, including equal proportions of Muslims and Hindus

Question 45

Was the Simla Conference a success?

Answer 45

NO

Question 46

Why did the Simla Conference fail?

Answer 46

Congress’ strict line approach meant that they maintained to be the voice for all India including the Muslim league