INDIAN SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR II
CONTEXT
- The Indian Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will inaugurate an Indian Army Memorial in the Cassino town of Italy during an official visit to the U.K. and Italy.
- The memorial commemorates over 3,100 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the effort to liberate Italy in World War II.
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INDIA IN WORLD WAR II
- Under Benito Mussolini, Italy had joined Nazi Germany in 1936 and in 1940 it entered WWII (1939-1945) against the Allies.
- The invasion of Italy by the Allies coincided with an armistice that was made with the Italians.
- the UK’s National Army Museum notes that for two years during WWII, Italy became one of the war’s most “exhausting campaigns” because they were facing a skilled and resolute enemy.
- In the first half of the 1940s, India was still under the British rule and the Indian Army fought in both the world wars. It comprised both Indian and European soldiers.
- Apart from this, there was the East India Company Army that also recruited both Indian and European soldiers and the British Army, which was also present in India.
- Indian Army was the largest volunteerforce during WWII, with over 2.5 million (more than 20 lakh) Indians participating.
- These troops fought the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) as part of the Allies.
- By 1945, the Allies had won, Italy had been liberated, Adolf Hitler was dead and India was barely a couple years short of independence.
- While millions of Indians participated, their efforts are not always recognized.
BRIEF HISTORY OF WORLD WAR II
- The death and destruction of World War I was so horrible that it was called “the war to end all wars.” Yet, the agreement to end World War I did not resolve the problems of the world and, according to some historians, lead directly to the next catastrophe: World War II. The major causes of World War II were numerous.
CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II
- Treaty of Versailles – An attempt was made at Paris Peace conference in 1919 to establish just world order. But the treaty was drafted by victors and Germany was told to sign it. Germany raised many objections. But France had taken its revenge, Germany was deprived of all its overseas colonies. The treaty of Versailles had imposed humiliating conditions on the Central powers and sowed the seeds of the Second World War.
- Rise of dictatorship in Italy and Germany – The dictatorship of the Facist party, under the leadership of Mussolini, was established in Italy in 1922. The dictatorship of the Nazi party was established in Germany after Hitler came to power in 1933.
- Expansionist policy of the Axis Powers – Germany, Italy and Japan were the AxisPowers which had pursued the expansionist policy during the inter-war period
- Failure of Disarmament
- Policy of Appeasement – England and France ignored the acts of aggression by Germany and Italy and succumbed to their pressure.
- The weakness of the League of Nations
CONSEQUENCES OF WORLD WAR II
- The End of the European Age: With the end of the Second World War, the European age had come to an end.
- The rise of the US and the Soviet Union to superpower status: When the Second World War ended, the US and the Soviet Union emerged as the super powers, main challengers of each other’s supremacy and leaders of two different ideologies.
- The emergence of the Cold War: As soon as the enemy was defeated, East-West ideological conflict reemerged. Post-Second World War was different in regard to the level of tension.
- The beginning of the nuclear age: The Soviet Union developed its nuclear weapon in 1949. Earlier only the US had its monopoly over nuclear powers. Thus, the nuclear age had begun.
- The rise of nationalism and independence movements in Asia and Africa: At the end of the Second World War, there occurred decline in the influence of colonial powers. The two super powers followed anti-colonial approach.
- A renewed effort to secure lasting peace through international organizations: The United Nations was set up in 1945 to replace the League of Nations as it had failed to maintain peace.