Indian Independence

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Indian Independence

During the Second World War (1939-45), India supported the Allied

Forces with both money and military. The part India played was very

important as the support had a large impact on the result of the war.

Without India, the Allied would have lost to the Axis.

Before the partition in 1947, India was a colony under British rule.

India had an army of over two million in 1945. A lot of the soldiers

served the allies. 700,000 (three-quarters of the Indian's military)

of them joined the 14th Army in Burma. They served in the North Africa

campaigns against the Germans. Other armies fought battles in Eritrea,

the Middle East and the Far East.

On the sea, as much as 30,000 joined the Royal Indian Navy with many

other sea merchants transporting and supplying goods to other allies.

The Royal Indian Air Force also recruited 55,000 Indians while

thousands of Indian women gave their services and took part in WRINS

(Women's Royal Indian Naval Service) , WACS (Women's Auxiliary Corps:

Indian) or as nurses and weaponry workers.

Financially, India supported Britain with over GBP1550m. Furthermore,

the millions that worked at factories produced goods that worth

uncountable amounts of money.

From government reports, we know that India supported the Allied

Forces significantly. In reality, India did not participate as a

whole. Two main groups of people reacted differently to the war.

Muslims believed that if they aid the British, they would gain their

respect and freedom. The Hindus thought the opposite. Many Hindus

leaders put on strikes and did not cooperate with the British-ruled

India government. Therefore many Hindus were sent to prisons.

Some Indians in the army, however also changed sides throughout the

war. Subhas Chandra Bhose believed that if Britain loses the war,

India would get its independence. He then organized an INA (Indian

National Army) to fight for the Japanese. The Japanese forced

thousands of Indians to join the INA and some died because of

rejecting the offer. The survivors of the INA were captured by the

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