The Second World War, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, was a devastating international conflict. It involved 100 million people from more than 30 countries. World War II was the bloodiest conflict in human history, killing between 70 and 85 million people. Genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, massacres, and disease killed hundreds of millions of people. Germany, Italy, and Japan were pitted against the Allies, which included France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, to a lesser extent, China. In this article, we will discuss the Second World War (1930-1945) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Causes of Second World War

• The causes of World War II are numerous and varied, but it all boils down to Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party's aggressive and expansionist policies.
• Furthermore, the harsh Treaty of Versailles years before only laid the groundwork for future conflicts.
• Other events, such as the Spanish Civil War and the Japanese invasion of China, only served to highlight the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations, which was established following the Treaty of Versailles.
• Both conflicts saw the involvement of these future Axis powers, demonstrating that they could carry out their imperialistic whims with no consequences from other nations. As a result, the conflict became unavoidable.

India and Second World War

• The Second World War began in September 1939, when Nazi (Germany) invaded Poland as part of Hitler's German expansion scheme.
• The Indian government entered the war without consulting the National Congress or the elected members of the central legislature.
• Before India could actively participate in the war, Congress leaders demanded that it be declared free or that effective power be transferred to it. When the British government refused to accept this demand, the Congress ordered the resignation of its ministers.
• Gandhi called for a limited Satyagraha by a few selected individuals in October 1940.
• By March 1942, Japan had quickly overrun the Philippines, Indo-China, Indonesia, Malaya, and Burma, and occupied Rangoon. This brought the war to India's doorstep.
• The British Government now desperately needed Indians' active participation in the war effort.

National Movement During Second World War

Cripps Mission

• In order to secure this cooperation, the British government dispatched a mission to India in March 1942, led by Cabinet Minister Sir Stafford Cripps.
• Cripps declared that the goal of British policy in India was "the earliest possible realisation of self-government in India," but detailed negotiations between the British Government and Congress leaders fell through when the British Government refused to accept the Congress demand for an immediate transfer of effective power to Indians.

Quit India Movement

• On August 8, 1942, the All India Congress Committee met in Bombay. It passed the famous 'Quit India' Resolution and proposed a nonviolent mass struggle led by Gandhiji to achieve this goal.
• Gandhiji and other Congress leaders were arrested early on August 9, and the Congress was declared illegal once more.
• The news of these arrests shocked the country, and a spontaneous movement of protest erupted everywhere, expressing the people's pent-up rage.
• There were strikes in factories, schools, and colleges across the country, as well as demonstrations that were lathi-charged and fired upon.
• The government, for its part, went all out to crush the 1942 movement. Its repression knew no bounds. The press was completely silenced. The demonstrating crowds were machine-gunned and even bombed from the air.
• In the end, the government was successful in crushing the movement. The so-called 1942 Revolt was, in fact, brief.
• After the suppression of the Revolt of 1942, there was little political activity inside the country until the war ended in 1945.

Azad Hind Fauj

• However, the national movement found new expression outside of the country's borders. Subhas Chandra Bose fled India in March 1941 and sought assistance from the Soviet Union. However, when the Soviet Union joined the Allies in June 1941, he moved to Germany.
• Bose left for Japan in February 1943 to organise an armed struggle against British rule with Japanese assistance.
• Bose established the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army or INA) in Singapore to conduct a military campaign for India's liberation. Rash Behari Bose, an old terrorist revolutionary, assisted him.
• General Mohan Singh had begun the process of organising the INA prior to the arrival of Subhash Bose (at that time, he was a captain of the British Indian army).
• Subhash Bose, now known as Netaji by INA soldiers, gave his followers the battle cry 'Jai Hind.'
• The INA joined the Japanese army on its march from Burma to India. The soldiers and officers of the Indian National Army (INA) hoped to enter India as its liberators, with Subhash Bose at the helm of the Provisional Government of Free India.
• With Japan's defeat in the war in 1944-45, Subhash Bose was killed in an aeroplane accident on his way to Tokyo.

India’s Role in the Second World War

• The Indian contribution in World War II extended beyond soldiers.
• Indian men and women of all backgrounds aided in the war effort against fascism.
• Indians assisted in every aspect of the war effort, including serving on merchant supply ships that transported supplies and food to soldiers in Europe.
• Indian doctors and nurses played an important role on British and other countries' soil.
• The Indian Comforts Fund (ICF) was founded in 1939 at Aldwych's India House by Indian and British women.
• Between 1939 and 1945, the ICF distributed over 1.7 million food packets, as well as warm clothing and other supplies, to soldiers and Asian POWs.

Impact of Second World War on India

• During the Second World War (1939–1945), the United Kingdom controlled India, with the British holding territories in India that included over 600 autonomous Princely States.
• During the Second World War, over 87,000 Indian soldiers (including those from modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh) and 3 million civilians died.
• The war altered the economic and political landscape.
• It resulted in a massive increase in defence spending, which was financed by war loans and higher taxes; customs duties were raised, and an income tax was implemented.
• Between 1913 and 1918, prices more than doubled. This affected ordinary people.
• The war also boosted India's economy, industrialization, and employment.
• By the end of the war, India had spent more money than Britain. Britain owed India a large "sterling debt" when it gained independence.
• During the Second World War, the British used India's resources to support their imperial war effort.
• In 1942, they crushed Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress' attempt to force them to "quit India."
• As a result, Britain was desperate to keep India (and its army) together.

Political Activity in India During the time of Second World War

• The Congress's electoral gains in 1937 were rendered ephemeral when its leaders ordered provincial ministries to resign in November 1939, when the viceroy (Victor Alexander John Hope, Marquis of Linlithgow—1936-43) declared India's entry into World War II without consulting Indian leaders.
• Jinnah and the Muslim League saw the Congress's withdrawal from government as a timely opportunity and observed a day of thanksgiving on December 22, 1939.
• Jinnah persuaded participants at the annual Muslim League session in Lahore in 1940 to adopt what became known as the Pakistan Resolution, which demanded the division of India into two separate sovereign states, one Muslim and the other Hindu.
• Although the concept of Pakistan was first proposed in Allahabad in 1930, it received little attention. However, the volatile political climate, personal rivalries among the leaders, and Jinnah's opportunism transformed the idea of Pakistan into a popular demand.
• When World War II broke out, the Congress declared that Indian participation in the war would be unacceptable unless complete and immediate independence was granted. The Congress planned a civil disobedience campaign against the war, but the British arrested its leaders before the campaign could begin.
• Between 1940 and 1942, the Congress launched two futile agitations against the British, and 60,000 Congress members, including Gandhi and Nehru, were arrested.
• The Congress party passed a resolution in 1942 demanding that the British leave India. Gandhi backed the 1942 Quit India Campaign. He backed the British in the Second World War but advocated passive resistance to Hitler and Japan.
• Gandhi once claimed that his tactics of passive resistance could be used in any situation, including against the Nazis.
• After the second world war, he changed his mind, saying that while his methods were effective against the British, they might not be so effective against crueller oppressors.
• Unlike the Congress, which was uncooperative and belligerent during the Second World War, the Muslim League supported the British.
• Belated but possibly sincere British attempts to accommodate the demands of the two rival parties while preserving India's unitary state appeared unacceptable to both, as they alternately rejected whatever proposal was put forward during the war years.
• As a result, a three-way stalemate developed: the Congress and the Muslim League questioned the British motives for handing over power to Indians, while the British struggled to maintain some control over India while offering greater autonomy.

Conclusion

The Second World War altered the world's political alignment and social structure. The United Nations (UN) was founded to promote international cooperation and conflict prevention, with the victorious great powers—China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States—becoming permanent members of its Security Council. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, launching the nearly half-century Cold War. Following European devastation, the great powers' influence waned, resulting in the decolonization of Africa and Asia. Most countries with harmed industries began to recover and expand their economies. Political and economic integration began as an effort to prevent future hostilities, end pre-war animosities, and forge a sense of common identity, particularly in Europe.

FAQs

MCQs

1. What was the primary demand of the Quit India Movement?

A) Complete independence from British rule
B) Economic reforms
C) Better representation for Indians in government
D) Support for the British war effort

2. Which event marked the launch of the Quit India Movement?

A) Gandhi's Dandi March
B) The Cripps Mission
C) August Revolution
D) The Round Table Conferences

3. What was a major consequence of the Second World War on India's freedom struggle?

A) Increased British control
B) Emergence of new political parties
C) Strengthening of the nationalist movement
D) Decline of the Congress Party

4. How did the British respond to the Quit India Movement?

A) By negotiating with Congress leaders
B) By arresting many leaders and suppressing protests
C) By granting immediate independence
D) By ignoring the movement

5. What was the significance of the Cripps Mission in the context of India's freedom struggle?

A) It led to the immediate independence of India
B) It proposed constitutional reforms and was rejected by Indian leaders
C) It strengthened the British position in India
D) It was a military mission against Japan

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Analyze the impact of the Second World War on India's independence movement.

Answer: The Second World War significantly influenced India's independence movement by exacerbating economic hardships and intensifying nationalist sentiments. The British decision to involve India in the war without consulting Indian leaders led to widespread resentment and protests, culminating in the launch of the Quit India Movement in 1942. This movement galvanized masses across the country, demanding immediate independence, and marked a turning point in the struggle for freedom. The war also strained British resources, making it increasingly difficult for them to maintain control over India. The post-war period saw the Labour government in Britain more sympathetic to Indian aspirations, eventually leading to negotiations for independence. Overall, the Second World War catalyzed the momentum of the freedom struggle, setting the stage for India's eventual liberation in 1947.

Q2: Discuss the role of key political leaders in the Quit India Movement and its implications for the freedom struggle.

Answer: The Quit India Movement saw significant involvement from key political leaders, notably Mahatma Gandhi, who provided visionary leadership and galvanized public support for the cause of independence. Alongside him, leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played crucial roles in mobilizing the masses and organizing protests against British rule. The movement's implications for the freedom struggle were profound; it marked a united front against colonial oppression and demonstrated the willingness of the Indian populace to fight for their rights. Despite facing brutal repression from British authorities, the movement solidified the resolve of nationalists and heightened global awareness of India's quest for freedom. The sacrifices made during this period further strengthened the call for independence, leading to greater international support for India's self-determination.

Q3: Evaluate the significance of the British response to the Quit India Movement in shaping India's future political landscape.

Answer: The British response to the Quit India Movement, characterized by arrests of prominent leaders and violent suppression of protests, played a critical role in shaping India's political landscape. This heavy-handed approach not only intensified public anger against British rule but also revealed the colonial government's unwillingness to negotiate with Indian leaders. The widespread discontent and the harsh response catalyzed a more radical approach among nationalists, as many began to view complete independence as the only viable solution. Additionally, the movement's suppression exposed the vulnerabilities of British authority in India, leading to a shift in British policy after the war. Ultimately, this response set the stage for post-war negotiations, culminating in India's independence in 1947, and left a lasting impact on the methods and strategies employed by subsequent generations of political leaders in India.

Previous Year Questions on India's Freedom Struggle and Second World War

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2021:

Question: What was the main objective of the Quit India Movement?

A) To seek more powers for provincial governments
B) To demand immediate independence from British rule
C) To support the British war effort
D) To establish a separate nation for Muslims

Answer: (B)

Explanation: The main objective of the Quit India Movement was to demand immediate independence from British rule, as advocated by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019 (GS Paper 1):

Question: "Examine the impact of the Second World War on the Indian freedom struggle." Discuss how the war influenced the demands for independence.

Answer: The Second World War had a profound impact on the Indian freedom struggle by exacerbating economic difficulties and galvanizing nationalist sentiments. The British government's unilateral decision to involve India in the war without consulting Indian leaders led to widespread dissatisfaction. As the war progressed and economic conditions worsened, the demand for immediate independence intensified, culminating in the Quit India Movement of 1942. The war also highlighted Britain's weakened position post-conflict, prompting a reassessment of colonial policies and increasing international support for India's independence. The combination of these factors contributed significantly to the eventual liberation of India in 1947.