Why, In The Years 1945-46, Did Attempts At A Political Solution Fail?

Question 1

When was Wavell appointed Viceroy?

Answer 1

October 1943

Question 2

How far did Wavell travel a week?

Answer 2

1,500km a week

Question 3

What did Wavell reinstate?

Answer 3

Reinstated the regular meeting of the 11 governors

Question 4

Cause of the Bengal Famine: (5)

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What did the annual death rate rise to in 1943?

Answer 5

1.2 million to 1.9 million

Question 6

How many died during the Bengal Famine?

Answer 6

1-3 million

Question 7

How much grain did Wavell request?

Answer 7

A million tons

Question 8

How much grain did he secure?

Answer 8

450,000

Question 9

Why did Churchill appoint Wavell?

Answer 9

Had a military and hoped he would not interfere in Indian politics

Question 10

Churchill’s view on India:

Answer 10

‘Hates India and everything to do with it’

Question 11

What did John Maynard Keynes present to the War Cabinet?

Answer 11

It had cost £1,000 million for each of the past two years to run the British Empire

Question 12

How much would it cost to run the British empire post-war?

Answer 12

£1,400 million

Question 13

When was the Simla Conference?

Answer 13

25 June 1945

Question 14

What proposals did the Simla Conference set?

Answer 14

offered equal proportions of Muslims and Hindus on the Executive Council. All members would be Indians, with the exception of the viceroy and the commander-in-chief

Question 15

How many Indian political leaders travelled to Simla?

Answer 15

21

Question 16

What was the deadlock between Congress and the Muslim League?

Answer 16

Jinnah insisted that they must all be nominated by the Muslim League; Congress could not accept

Question 17

How much did Labour Party win by?

Answer 17

12% swing

Question 18

When was the Cabinet Mission?

Answer 18

1946

Question 19

Cabinet mission three tier structure:

Answer 19

• Minimal ‘Union Government’
• regional groupings exercising all other governmental responsibilities
• Two options

Question 20

Option 1 and option 2

Answer 20

• Existing regional groupings might be permitted to secede from the original union by means of special votes. There was hope for a future independent Muslim state
• creation of Hindustan and Pakistan

Question 21

Why was no progress made during the second conference at Simla

Answer 21

Congress refused to support either option and no progress had been made

Question 22

May Statement:

Answer 22

• Britain would create a constituent assembly of elected representatives from the 11 British states
• Assembly would draft a constitution for the single state with regional groupings

Question 23

How many troops did the British dispatch during the Communal violence?

Answer 23

50,000 troops

Question 24

When did the British withdraw their military?

Answer 24

August 1947

Question 25

AIML Direct Action: (4)

Answer 25

• 1946
• 5,000 killed
• 20,000 seriously injured
• 100,000 residents were made homeless

Question 26

When was the interim government sworn in?

Answer 26

1946

Question 27

Who was the prime minister of the new interim government?

Answer 27

Nehru

Question 28

Who did Jinnah send to join the Executive Council to give the Muslim League more power within the government?

Answer 28

Liaquat Ali Khan