What Role Did India Play in the Second World War?

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Historiography
Conclusion
Bibliography

Introduction

The Second World War erupted in tension and the need to acquire international supremacy in various countries. However, many countries played diverse role in promoting success of their allies. British holding territories in India with over six hundred autonomous princely states. The question is “What role did India play in the second world war?”. India played a diverse role such as military assistance and provision of autonomous refreshment base for Britain and Indian army. These roles had greater impact on the Britain maneuvers to overcome the Imperial Japanese and Germany troops.

Historiography

Indian Army fought in distinction worldwide; their idea was to create harmony and defend Indians against any external explosion by either Japanese or Germans. The Historical perspective of Indian engagements in World War II has been linked with the populace. The population of India was high such that men could easily engage in international welfare.¹ The political climate was the critical factor in Indian engagement in the Second World war. Viceroy Linlithgow avowed that India was at war with Germany with no further talks with the other politicians.² This fueled a lot of external pressure on the Indian administration, thus leading to the direct intervention measures to protect their country.

Indian consistently participated in the Allied campaign, which remained strong throughout the war. The British government and its associations focused on using Indians due to their strong financial and military capabilities. This was done to build a strong team against British enemies such as Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.³ The strategic position at the tip of the Indian Ocean and its extensive access to weaponry was the ideal factor the British Government considered while determining their strongholds.

Different historians have varied thoughts on the Indian engagement in World War II. The critical consideration is based on the colonial masters who forced Indian Army to engage in military welfare. Some believe that India was strategically located to quickly acquire an army weapon and easy access to the east African countries.⁴ British government consisted used India to access Africa for easy colonization. Historians also believe that India was a rich country in terms of human labor and raw materials. British tried to protect these items from foreign invasion from Imperial Japan and Germany. This ideally led to conflict amongst the three governments, thus creating an avenue for the British to use Indians to secure their resources.

The tremendous armed force played a crucial role in faltering the military advancement of Imperial Japan in the south-East Asian region. The Indian Army was the most significant population; more than 2 million Indian troops were directly engaged in the second world war.⁵ As a result, by the end of the war, India became one of the major industrial powers, and its financial and military inspiration paved the way for the United Kingdom. In its efforts to overcome Japan, the British formed military personnel known as British Indian Army. This campaign was used to effectively provide an avenue for British leadership to win the second war II. Britain lacked enough personnel; they only focused on their colonies to provide personnel for war.

As a colony of Britain, India fought with the allies. Indian Army lost more than 35000 military men in the war, while 34000 were seriously wounded and 67000 were caught as prisoners of war.⁶ The critical operating base for the Indian Army was in the Asian theatre, mainly fighting Japan in South East Asia. The other action areas were based on north and east Africa.

The increase in colonialism forced valorous Indian freedom fight Subash Chandra Bose to form a resistance movement that sided the axis to help Indian get out of the British domain. The division across the Indian community led to massive death and defeat during the second world war.⁷ This delimited a fast movement to secure the country’s independence from the British colonies. Indian Army gathered a lot of effort to help allied parties and create an avenue to the liberation of their country. This ideal circumstance motivated many Indians to engage in the military welfare guided by both freedom fighters and the British Army.

The factual circumstances surrounding the contributory factors for Indians in World War II are based on various achievements made during this period. The Indian armed forces received 15 % of the Victoria Cross award in the second world war.⁸ This reflects the outstanding contribution to World War II. Most of the Indian Army was engaged in voluntary activities. The Indian Armed Forces had under 200,000 men in 1939, yet more than 2 million people were directly involved in the war against the Axis Powers. The massive voluntary expansion of the Indian Army resulted in an end to the tradition of a majority Punjabi army, thus leading to military intelligence and loyalty.

The engagement of the British Army in Indian activities forced many Indian to consider various production activities to improve their livelihood.⁹ This created a trust between Indians and their colonial master Britain since there was an improved lifestyle. Indian Army served in all theatres of the Second World War. Various divisions were operating in different localities in which the Indian Army was directly engaged.

Indian forces fought abroad and were instrumental factors in the victories in their home country. For example, the victory at Imphal and Kohima, when the Japanese imperial tide was stemmed, the invasion of India was prevented¹⁰. This denotes their critical role in protecting their country from external invasion during the war. The Second World War helped Indians achieve their independence. The engagement of Indian troops in World War II helped them realize the importance of their country’s independence. In 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill signed an agreement setting out the common ideals for the after-world war.¹¹ The charter highlighted the need to ensure Indians enjoy sovereign rights and self-government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them.

The Indian contribution to World War II went beyond soldiers; Indian men and women from all walks of life supported the war effort to end fascism. Men and women worked closely by supplying food and medical attention to the soldiers. Merchants and business people provided material and food for soldiers in Europe and Africa. The nation contributed by collecting food and other essential material to support the war at home. For example, Kolkata was the Allies’ recreation center, which British soldiers stopped and recuperated before returning to the battlefield.

Conclusion

India’s engagement in World War II had a lot of impact on the welfare outcomes. Many Indians were involved in World War II, most semi-skilled. Their contribution activities were linked to the large population willing to engage in the war actively. Indian Army was amongst the most significant troops involved in the war; others provided moral and physical support, such as food and medics. As a result, India actively achieved success by assisting Britain to fight its enemies such as Imperial Japan and Germany.

Bibliography

Kamtekar, Indivar. “A different war dance: state and class in India 1939-1945.” Past & present 176 (2002): 187-221
Churchill, Winston S. The second world war. A&C Black, 2013
Katoch, Hemant Singh. The Battlefields of Imphal: The Second World War and North East India. Routledge India, 2016.
Khan, Yasmin. India at war: The subcontinent and the Second World War. Oxford University Press, 2015
Killingray, David, and Martin Plaut. Fighting for Britain: African Soldiers in the Second World War. Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2012.
Mukerjee, Madhusree. Churchill’s secret war: The British Empire and the ravaging of India during World War II. Basic Books, 2011.
Pati, Budheswar. India and the First World War. Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 1996
Pullin, Eric D. “Noise and Flutter”: American Propaganda Strategy and Operation in India during World War II.” Diplomatic History 34, no. 2 (2010): 275-298.
Raghavan, Srinath. India’s war: World War II and the making of modern South Asia. Hachette UK, 2016.
Stone, James H., ed. Crisis fleeting: Original reports on military medicine in India and Burma in World War II. Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, 1999
Weigold, A. (2010). Churchill, Roosevelt, and India: Propaganda During World War II. Routledge.

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