Situation at the end of WWII

Britain
1. New Labour Govt. May 1945
  1. PM Clement Atlee
    1. Had very close links with Congress
  2. Want to put money towards rebuilding after war not empire
    1. e.g NHS etc
  3. Left wing - more likely to grant independence
    1. Genuinely determined to grant political reform
  4. Unaware of the strength of support for Pakistan mov.
2. Main aims: Hold elections and form new constitution (restarting democracy)
3. Churchill voted out
Fear of unrest
1. Wavell scared Brit too eager to hand power to Congress
2. Potential unrest due to food and coal shortages
3. Discontent amongst soldiers who want to return home
  1. When they are demobbed they don't return their weapons
    1. civilian pop now armed and trained in combat
4. Renewed Civil Dis a real threat to Brit power
5. Only 50,000 soldiers available in India
  1. Poor morale
INA soldiers and Mutinies
1. Congress believe that INA soldiers were fighting for freedom of India just in the wrong way
2. Britain court martialled three senior officers, One Hindu, one muslim one Sikh
  1. British were trying to make the point that the soldiers are traitors without really angering the public
  2. unfortunately this just united opposition against the British
    1. Sentence was transportation for life not death
      1. They then had to back track further and release them
3. Calcutta and Bombay Mutinies
  1. General Strike in Bombay
  2. 20,000 sailors from the Indian army take 80 ships
  3. Britain asks Congress to get the mutineers to ask them to stop
    1. Congress do - they think this will benefit them in the negotiations over who will rule India when the British leave
    2. Shows that Congress have the power over the army not the British
Elections 1946 (For Indian Prov Govts)
1. Congress won 90% of seats
  1. Gave them power over 8/11 Prov Govts
2. Muslim League won 75% of Muslim vote
  1. Gives them 90% of reserved Muslim seats
  2. Gained all 30 Muslim seats in the central assembly
  3. Gave them power over 2/11 Prov Govts
  4. Shows Muslims really do want Pakistan - that was what ML had promised to get
  5. Support for Pakistan was strongest in Non-Muslim majority states
    1. They were more likely to feel threatened by the idea of being ruled by Hindus/Congress
3. Remaining Council (in Punjab) was controlled by Non Muslim coalition
Preparation for partition
1. British and Nationalists both trying to gauge strength of Pakistan demand
  1. Jan 1946 - fact finding visit from Brit MPs
  2. British and Indians were waiting to see what happened in the elections
2. Realisation amongst Nationalist leaders Brit are serious about leaving
3. Private acceptance amongst British that Partition is prob necessary
  1. Wavell interested in making practical prep for partition
    1. Know that Bengal and Punjab will cause problems if split
      1. Amritsar may be cut off in a future Muslim Pakistan
Changing Economics
1. Britain had previously had monopoly over imports/exports. Indians now got involved and also competition from Jap and US
2. 1928-29 £83million on Brit goods spent by Inds By 1936 had fallen to £39mill
3. Britain was broke - WWII
  1. Industry had slowed as a result of war
4. By 1945 £2.37billion owed to India and US by Brit
5. Reserve Bank of India set up - 1931. Rupee no longer tied to Sterling - Britain can't manipulate the exchange rate to suit them
  1. Had a balance of £1.3billion by 1945
6. From 1933 Britain paid £1.5/year for the Indian army
7. Huge reconstruction need in Brit (Bombing damage) also wanted to carry out social reforms

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Situation at the end of WWII

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	Created by Tom Lea over 10 years ago