Table of Contents
Why did India become involved in the first World war?
In 1914, the Governor of British East Africa requested assistance to deal with the German forces in German East Africa and the problem was handed to the India Office, which assembled two forces and shipped them to his aid.
Why did Gandhi go back to India?
After over 21 years stay in South Africa, Gandhi returned to India on January 9, 1915 with his wife Kasturba. He had been in London the previous year to treat a severe bout of pleurisy, a lung inflammation. His doctors advised him to return to India to escape the English winter.
How important was India’s role in WW2?
The Indian participation in World War II was crucial to the victory of the allied forces, however, this era of Indian history has, for the most part, been remembered for its fight towards independence.
How were Indian soldiers in the British Army affected by WW1?
The colonial armies in India during World War 1 were often marked by acute ethnic division, and the Indian soldiers in the British army had to suffer through food shortages and rise in taxes along with intensive recruitment involving the use of force.
What were the divisions of the Indian Army in WW2?
The army included divisions in the airborne, armor, and infantry specialties. Although the army saw action throughout most of the world, the majority of the forces were devoted to fighting the Japanese with 38 members of the Indian Army being awarded either the George or Victoria Cross during the war.
How big was the Indian Army in 1939 WW2?
In 1939, at the start of the war, the Indian Army had just over 200,000 troops—enough to keep India in chains and the British safe from Indian revolutionaries. In 1940, the army’s size was increased to 1,000,000. Overall, India supplied a total of 2,581,726 army, navy and air force combatants.