vii. World War 2 and India
- During the Second World War (1939–1945), India was a part of the British Empire, with the British holding territories in India that included over six hundred autonomous Princely States
- So, the British Raj, as part of the Allied Nations, sent over two and a half million soldiers to fight under British command against the Axis powers
- Indians fought with distinction throughout the world, including in the European theatre against Germany, in North Africa against Germany and Italy, in the South Asian region defending India against the Japanese and fighting the Japanese in Burma
- At the height of the second World War, more than 5 million Indian troops were fighting Axis forces around the globe
- Further, About 15 percent of all the Victoria Crosses — Britain’s highest decoration for valour — awarded during the Second World War went to Indian and Nepalese troops.
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- Also, India’s strategic location at the tip of the Indian Ocean, its large production of armaments, and its huge armed forces played a decisive role in halting the progress of Imperial Japan in the South-East Asian theatre
- Reaction from Indians
- Viceroy Linlithgow declared that India was at war with Germany without consultations with Indian politicians
- Political parties such as the Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha supported the British war effort
- While the Indian National Congress, demanded independence before it would help Britain
- Impact on India
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Marks of Progress |
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Ruination of Rural economies |
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Congress Resignation from Provincial Government |
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Grant of Independence to India |
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