How accurate is it to say the second world war hindered rather than
helped the advance of India towards independence (20 marks0
It is not accurate to say WW2 hindered the advance of India towards
independence.
As a result of the outbreak of war and threat of invasion from Japan,
Britain need to consolidate complete control over India to gain their full
war effort to defeat axis powers, however the Indian public weren’t fully
keen to give their full support, so Britain enacted the Cripps Mission in
1942. The mission set out a draft of a new Indian constitution and promise
of dominion status like Australia and Canada, in exchange for their full war
effort. The draft set out that India would be created a dominion one the
war was over and that provinces could decide to participate or not if they
didn’t want to be in the constitution. This is a step towards independence
and a minimum of changing ideas of the British government to move
towards letting go of India. Although the Cripps mission ultimately failed
as many congress and political leaders rejected the ideas put forth by the
constitution as they believed that it would split India up due to the idea
that provinces could opt out of the constitution and demand their own
separate one. Yet, it was still a set in the right direction for gaining
independence as it showed Britain realising the inevitability of the idea
and opening to enacting it.
A knock of effect of the Cripps mission was Gandhis ‘Quit India’
campaign, similar to the previous campaigns for independence following
his satyagraha philosophy of peace and non-violence civil disobedience.
This campaign gained countrywide support and action. The campaign
called for immediate British withdrawal from India. British authorities
responded with a harsh crackdown leading to widespread arrests,
repression and violent confrontations. It marked a significant turning point
for the freedom struggle with its mass participation and increased
nationalism. The campaign though ultimately failed. This could be seen as
a hinderance due to the arrest of congress and political leaders as well as
the violent outburst, or as another step edging towards independence due
to the mass participation and gain of attention, sending a clear message
to the British Raj of the demand for full independence not settling for
dominion status. The significance and positive impacts of the campaign
for independence outweigh the negative results.
Another step towards independence as an effect from WW2 was the
Simla conference held in 1945. After the appointment of viceroy Wavell in
1943 he set forth the Simla conference. To propose the new composition
of hi council chosen specifically to give a balanced representation of all
major communities. All the members were to be Indian except the viceroy
helped the advance of India towards independence (20 marks0
It is not accurate to say WW2 hindered the advance of India towards
independence.
As a result of the outbreak of war and threat of invasion from Japan,
Britain need to consolidate complete control over India to gain their full
war effort to defeat axis powers, however the Indian public weren’t fully
keen to give their full support, so Britain enacted the Cripps Mission in
1942. The mission set out a draft of a new Indian constitution and promise
of dominion status like Australia and Canada, in exchange for their full war
effort. The draft set out that India would be created a dominion one the
war was over and that provinces could decide to participate or not if they
didn’t want to be in the constitution. This is a step towards independence
and a minimum of changing ideas of the British government to move
towards letting go of India. Although the Cripps mission ultimately failed
as many congress and political leaders rejected the ideas put forth by the
constitution as they believed that it would split India up due to the idea
that provinces could opt out of the constitution and demand their own
separate one. Yet, it was still a set in the right direction for gaining
independence as it showed Britain realising the inevitability of the idea
and opening to enacting it.
A knock of effect of the Cripps mission was Gandhis ‘Quit India’
campaign, similar to the previous campaigns for independence following
his satyagraha philosophy of peace and non-violence civil disobedience.
This campaign gained countrywide support and action. The campaign
called for immediate British withdrawal from India. British authorities
responded with a harsh crackdown leading to widespread arrests,
repression and violent confrontations. It marked a significant turning point
for the freedom struggle with its mass participation and increased
nationalism. The campaign though ultimately failed. This could be seen as
a hinderance due to the arrest of congress and political leaders as well as
the violent outburst, or as another step edging towards independence due
to the mass participation and gain of attention, sending a clear message
to the British Raj of the demand for full independence not settling for
dominion status. The significance and positive impacts of the campaign
for independence outweigh the negative results.
Another step towards independence as an effect from WW2 was the
Simla conference held in 1945. After the appointment of viceroy Wavell in
1943 he set forth the Simla conference. To propose the new composition
of hi council chosen specifically to give a balanced representation of all
major communities. All the members were to be Indian except the viceroy
