World Wars and India's Role

Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about World Wars and India's Role from Class 10 Social Science. In this chapter, we will explore the First World War, the rise of dictators, the Second World War, and India's crucial role in these global conflicts. Let us begin with the First World War. Even prior to 1914, there were frequent strifes and conflicts among Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Russia to gain control over Europe and their colonies. The industrial revolution and new inventions led to severe competition among European countries. There is a history, spanning centuries, of rivalry among European countries with regard to capturing markets and the resources of innumerable countries of the world including India. The agreements arrived at in this process served to keep alive the boundary disputes of many countries. This shook the balance of power equations between strong European countries. Due to this state of affairs, every strong nation indulged in extreme militarization. Many alliance pacts were formed. Extreme nationalism began to develop in some countries, and imperialist tendencies strengthened. [CHECKPOINT] The First World War divided the countries into two groups. Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente pact, whereas Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy entered into the Triple Alliance pact. Within a short while, Italy joined the rival group. As the war progressed, the groups changed in structure. The First World War took place between 1914 and 1918. The immediate reason for the war was the assassination of the Austrian prince, Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28th June 1914. This incident created a rift between Austria and Serbia. In the beginning, America was neutral, and Russia was against Germany. By the time the war ended, the picture had changed. America had joined Britain and France. In November 1917, a Socialist Revolution took place, which prompted Russia to arrive at a ceasefire agreement with Germany and withdraw from the war. Germany, severely battered by the attacks of the Triple Entente countries, accepted defeat and stopped fighting. In 1919, the Alliance signed a humiliating Versailles treaty. Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman kingdoms lost their identity. Germany lost most of its area. The map of Europe changed drastically, and many small independent nations came into being. With the intention of preventing wars in the future, the League of Nations was established. [CHECKPOINT] Among the defeated countries, feelings of shame and humiliation gave rise to aggressive nationalism. The compensation for the loss in war and other decisions that were heaped on Germany affected the people adversely. Unemployment, poverty, and a slump in development led to widespread dissatisfaction, which was exploited by German industrialists for their own profit. This atmosphere enabled the growth of a dictator like Hitler who caused the Second World War. The weapons manufacturers and arms traders of Britain, France, Germany, and America made enormous gains at this time. Please note this important information. In the First World War, approximately 1,00,00,000 people including soldiers and civilians of both the parties lost their lives. 2,00,00,000 people were injured, and 35,00,000 people were permanently disabled. As in any war, even the First World War was fought for the profit and greed of some people, resulting in immense suffering and loss of lives. [CHECKPOINT] Now let us move on to the rise of dictators. The situations that resulted after the First World War brought into existence dictators like Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy. Hitler first became the Chancellor and, subsequently, after the death of Hindenberg, became a dictator. Hitler became the Fuhrer, which means the leader. By the time Hitler assumed power, communists and socialists had grown powerful in Germany. Against this backdrop, gaining the support of industrialists, Hitler suppressed the communists and socialists. He banned labour unions and political parties. He declared that Nazi was the only political party. Hitler planted his speculative thoughts and the fear that Jews would control the world in the minds of Germans, and created a fear psychosis. He declared that the German Aryan race was the best in the world. To propagate all this, Hitler adopted Nazi philosophy. The gist of Nazi philosophy is as follows. The best race in the world is the Aryan race. Only Germans are eligible to rule the world. All other communities are eligible only to be ruled. Jews are responsible for all the problems of Germans. In addition to Jews, Communists, Catholics, and Socialists are also responsible. These people are unfit to exist. [CHECKPOINT] This sort of intense nationalism was put into practice in the cruelest manner. To spread racial hatred, he appointed a special minister called Goebels. He organized an outfit called Brown Shirts to create unrest and fear in the minds of people. In this direction, the mass murders and massacres have become most famous in history. As per an estimate, he was responsible for the death of 6 million Jews and over a crore of other civilians. His mass massacre was called the Holocaust. He enacted his rules of 1935 called the Nuremberg Laws. He imprisoned people in gas chambers without light or ventilation, without giving them food or water. He made them work like slaves in concentration camps. He indulged in mass killings by using poisonous gas and mass shootings. He designed ways of killing people irrespective of whether they were children, women, or old people. He employed his dictatorial power for mass massacres. The ambition to win the entire world and popularize the Aryan race was one of the reasons for the Second World War. The chapter of Hitler’s racial hatred ended with his death. [CHECKPOINT] Next, we will learn about Mussolini. The social movements, repercussions of the First World War, and the Russian revolution led to the emergence of a parallel political force with Mussolini’s fascism. Intense nationalistic attitude, destruction of enemies, glorification of violence, racial supremacy, imperialist expansion, and support to massacres were the main features of Fascism. The Prime Minister of Italy from 1922 to 1943 was the founder of the National Fascist Party. In 1925, he dismissed the democratic government and legally assumed dictatorship. With the support of his secret police, he destroyed all his political opponents. He prohibited all labour strikes. He became a dictator. Joining hands with Hitler, he became responsible for the death of lakhs of people. He was assassinated in 1945. Now let us turn our attention to the Second World War. Even before people forgot the deaths and casualties of the First World War, the Second World War started with the declaration of war by Nazi Germany against Poland on September 1st 1939. The Second World War is the most destructive and barbaric in the history of mankind. More than 30 countries were directly involved in this war. The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. [CHECKPOINT] The Great Depression during the 1930s caused by the destructive policies of the developed nations caused very difficult situations in Europe and America. The lifestyle of people deteriorated to a pitiable extent. Industrial and agricultural production came to a standstill. Unemployment reached a dangerous proportion. Against the backdrop of the defeat of the First World War, humiliating treaties, and enormous economic loss, there developed intense nationalistic awareness in many countries. In Germany and other European nations, industrialists donated huge amounts to propagate nationalism. Using this resource, movements of hatred and arrogance became active. People like Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy came to power. In East Asia, Japan, with an intention to expand its empire, was attacking Chinese territories. During the Second World War, two rival groups, namely the Axis and the Allies, were formed. There were Germany, Italy, and Japan in the Axis group, whereas there were Britain, France, Russia, and other countries in the Allies group. [CHECKPOINT] When Germany attacked Poland, Britain, which was an ally of Poland, declared war against Germany. However, in reality, Britain did not immediately rush to Poland’s help. Poland was captured by Germany. At this time, since there was communism in Russia, Britain, France, America, and the others hoped that Hitler would attack Russia. Aware of this, on 24th August 1939, Russia signed a no-war pact with Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. As a result, Hitler attacked the West instead of the East. Hitler entered into an agreement with Italy and occupied most parts of Western Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Holland. In 1941, Hitler directed his attacks at Soviet Russia. Thus, Russia was forced to enter the war. At this juncture, Japan joined Hitler’s camp. Japan attacked and occupied many areas in America and Europe which were to the west of the Pacific Ocean. Italy and Germany attempted to capture the British colonies in North Africa and the Suez Canal, but failed. In 1942, Russia defeated the German troops in the Stalingrad war. [CHECKPOINT] After that, in 1943, Germany faced a series of defeats. Russia played a major role in these defeats. The Allied forces invaded Italy. America defeated Japan and got back the western Pacific islands. With the Great March of the Russian Red troops and the attack of the western nations, Germany was forced to surrender, and Berlin collapsed. Hitler committed suicide in 1945. With this ended the war in Europe. In 1945, America threw the first-ever nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki of Japan. As a result, lakhs of people were reduced to ashes. The effects of this are being felt by Japan even today. After Manchuria was liberated by Russia on 15th August 1945, Japan surrendered totally. With this, the Allied forces registered an emphatic victory. Please remember this crucial data. In the Second World War, civilians and soldiers put together, about 4,82,00,000 people lost their lives. German-led Axis forces lost about 82,00,000 people, while the Allied forces lost about 4,00,00,000. The maximum number of people, that is, 2,00,00,000, died in Russia. China, with 1,00,00,000, came second. With their sacrifice, victory over Hitler was impossible. The human race could not have been saved from the Nazi regime. [CHECKPOINT] The Second World War, which witnessed the maximum deaths and injuries, caused pronounced social and political changes in the entire world. The United Nations Organisation replaced the League of Nations. The victorious Allied countries, namely the United States of America, Soviet Union of Russia, China, Britain, and France became the permanent members of the security council. The Soviet Union and the United States of America became the most aggressive, rival countries. This paved the way for the beginning of a cold war. Asian and African nations were benefitted due to a conducive atmosphere for acquiring freedom. Britain, France, and many other nations lost many colonial establishments which were under their rule. India’s independence may be considered in this background. Since America used atomic power, it led to a severe competition in acquisition of atomic weapons by powerful nations. Now let us study India’s role in these world wars. In the two world wars, England would not have won without the co-operation of India’s Army. This has been proved in the military records and war reports. Indian Army’s courage, bravery, and sacrifice are alive even today in the memory of the nations that took part in the wars. [CHECKPOINT] In the First World War, the leadership of England played a decisive role. India, under the colonial rule of England, and many princely states helped England by their military, financially, and by supplying many products. As soon as the war started, Emperor George V made an appeal to the Indians and the Indian National Congress for help. At this stage, Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa and requested the people to help the British as they were in need of it. About 1.5 million soldiers took part in this war from India. Apart from this, Indians helped by giving 1,72,815 animals consisting of 85,953 horses, 10,781 camels, 5,061 bullocks, and 65,398 mules. They also provided 7 crores of small arms and ammunition, and 6 lakhs rifles. Apart from this, between 1914 and 1918, India supplied 4,19,20,223 garments. Raw materials like manganese, mica, timber, tea, and rubber were also supplied. Let us look at the specific contribution of the Mysore Lancers. Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV wrote a letter to the Viceroy in August 1914 that he would help the British at this crucial time of war. Immediately, he contributed 50 Lakhs of rupees from Mysore state for this purpose. [CHECKPOINT] In September 1914, the Mysore Lancers regiment were ordered to be ready to move to Egypt for war in support of Britain. Regimentdar B. Chamaraja Urs was sent with the Mysore Lancers to the battlefield, and Col J. Desiraja Urs was also sent to the battlefield as the Maharaja’s representative. The Mysore Lancers, consisting of 23 officers, 444 non-commissioned officers and men with 528 horses, 49 mules, and 132 followers, left Bangalore on 13th October 1914 to take part in the war. Major M.H. Hundersan accompanied it. In November 1915, the Mysore Lancers fought against the enemies in the Suez canal province. In November 1917, they led in seizing Gaza of Palestine. They made the enemies flee out of that area, as reported by the commander in chief of Egypt to the Viceroy. They destroyed the Turkish army and captured Palestine, Syria, Damascus, and Alleppo cities. A prominent part was played by the Mysore Lancers and Jodhpur Lancers in taking control of Haifa. The Jodhpur Lancers, led by Major Dalpat Singh, took the frontal position but was killed. Captain Aman Singh took command and led the charge straight into the enemy camp. The Mysore Lancers attacked his Austrian battery. [CHECKPOINT] Even today, we find both the Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers are part of the reconstituted 61st cavalry, the only horse mounted regiment of the Indian Army. Some of the important commandants of the Mysore Lancers were A.T. Tyagaraj, A. Lingaraja Urs, Subbaraja Urs, B.P. Krishne Urs, Mir Turab Ali, Sardar Bahadur, Regimentdar B. Chamaraja Urs, and Col. J. Desiraja Urs. The Hyderabad Lancers also took part in the war. The efforts of the Mysore, Jodhpur, and Hyderabad Lancers were immortalised by erecting a beautiful war memorial at New Delhi as Teen Murti Bhavan. It actually derives its name from the Teen Murti’s, meaning three statues of the Mysore, Jodhpur, and Hyderabad Lancers at the Circle, which incidentally is on Teen Murti Marg. As a symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India renamed Teen Murti Chowk war memorial as Teen Murthi Haifa Chowk and Teen Murti Road as Teen Murti Hifa Marg during the visit of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 14th January 2018. [CHECKPOINT] In spite of all the help taken by England, it did not keep up to its promises, and in 1919 it passed the Rowlatt Act, which resulted in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Now let us move to India and the Second World War. The Second World War was a watershed moment in modern world history and drastically changed the social and political map of the world, and especially of India under colonial rule at that time. The dominant historical narratives of the Second World War have been predominantly Eurocentric. India underwent extraordinary and irreversible changes between 1939 and 1945. The entire environment of India underwent change as thousands of natives put on the military uniform to fight in places like West Asia, Malaya, Burma, Iraq, Iran, Syria, North and East Africa, Sicily, Mainland Italy, Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Ethiopia, and Somaliland. India was the dividing line between Germany in the West and Japan in the East. Colonial India’s involvement in the war has often been studied against the backdrop of the ongoing freedom struggle, the varying attitudes of the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League, and the formation of the Azad Hind Fauz under Subhas Chandra Bose. [CHECKPOINT] Indian resources and soldiers aided the Allies in winning the war. The newfound confidence and belief in their own abilities as national people stemmed not from the nationalist movements aimed against the war but from the professional experience they gained during the war. England utilised the agrarian products and industrial goods for the war. The ordinance factories upgraded their technology and expanded the volume of output of war-related industrial goods. Thus, quantitative and qualitative development of weapons somewhat raised the readiness of the Indian troops during the latter part of the Second World War. The techniques of small war which the Indian Army had learnt in the North-West Frontier helped it while combating Italians in East Africa. Intensive training and combined arms techniques enabled the Indian Army to drive back Erwin Rommel’s Africa Korps. The participation of the Indian Army in defeating the German Armed forces during the Second World War is a high watermark in Indian Military History. The Indian Army was defeated by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942. [CHECKPOINT] The Burma campaign between 1942 and 1945 proved to be significant for the Indian Army as they received rigorous, tactical, and innovative military training under the Indian command, especially the General Headquarters and South East Asia command. This helped for victory in the Burma campaign during late 1944 to 1945. The war ended in 1945 and resulted in many political changes all over the world. Many countries which were under the hold of England became independent. Let me read out the years of independence for several nations as given in your textbook. Libya gained independence in 1951. Sudan in 1956. Ghana in 1957. Nigeria in 1960. Algeria in 1962. Kenya in 1963. Zambia in 1964. Now, let us carefully work through the exercises at the end of this chapter to solidify your understanding for your exams. [CHECKPOINT] Exercise One asks you to fill in the blanks with suitable words. Let us solve them together. Question one: World War One ended in the year 1918. Question two: Versailles Pact was signed in the year 1919. Question three: Italian dictator was Mussolini. Question four: The leader of the Nazi Party in Germany was Hitler. Question five: World War Two started in the year 1939. Question six: As the head of Mysore Lancers, Regimentdar B. Chamaraja Urs was sent to the war field. Now let us discuss the questions in Exercise Two. Question seven asks you to explain the immediate cause for World War One. The immediate reason for the war was the assassination of the Austrian prince, Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28th June 1914. This incident created a rift between Austria and Serbia, which quickly escalated into a global conflict. Question eight states that Nazi ideology destroyed Germany, and asks you to justify this statement. Nazi ideology promoted the belief that the Aryan race was the best and only Germans were eligible to rule the world, while Jews, Communists, Catholics, and Socialists were deemed unfit to exist. This intense nationalism and racial hatred led to the Holocaust, mass killings, and the Nuremberg Laws of 1935. Hitler’s dictatorial power and ambition to conquer the world ultimately caused immense destruction, leading to Germany’s defeat and devastation in World War Two. [CHECKPOINT] Question nine asks for the causes for World War Two. The causes include the Great Depression of the 1930s which caused economic ruin and unemployment, the humiliating treaties and economic losses from World War One which fueled intense nationalism, the rise of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini who propagated hatred and militarism, Japan’s imperial expansion in East Asia, and the failure of the League of Nations to prevent aggression. Question ten asks you to name the commandants of the Mysore Lancers. The important commandants were A.T. Tyagaraj, A. Lingaraja Urs, Subbaraja Urs, B.P. Krishne Urs, Mir Turab Ali, Sardar Bahadur, Regimentdar B. Chamaraja Urs, and Col. J. Desiraja Urs. Question eleven asks for the results of World War Two. The results include approximately 4,82,00,000 deaths, the replacement of the League of Nations by the United Nations Organisation, the formation of the UN Security Council with the USA, Soviet Union, China, Britain, and France as permanent members, the beginning of the Cold War between the USA and USSR, the independence of many Asian and African nations, the loss of colonial empires by Britain and France, and a severe competition in acquiring atomic weapons. [CHECKPOINT] Question twelve asks where Teen Murti Chowk is. Teen Murti Chowk is located in New Delhi. It houses a war memorial named Teen Murti Bhavan, which derives its name from the three statues of the Mysore, Jodhpur, and Hyderabad Lancers at the Circle on Teen Murti Marg. Question thirteen asks how Britain utilised the resources of India during World War Two. England utilised India’s agrarian products and industrial goods for the war effort. Ordinance factories upgraded their technology and expanded the volume of output of war-related industrial goods. The quantitative and qualitative development of weapons raised the readiness of Indian troops. Britain also relied heavily on Indian soldiers who fought across multiple global theatres, gaining professional experience that later fueled the freedom struggle. Now let us look at the activities and projects. Activity one asks you to collect information on the impact of the wars on the human generation. You should research how the massive loss of life, displacement, psychological trauma, economic devastation, and the use of nuclear weapons permanently altered human society, leading to global peace movements and the establishment of international humanitarian laws. [CHECKPOINT] Activity two asks you to write an essay on the attempts being made by India, along with other nations, to establish peace at the global level. You can discuss India’s role in the Non-Aligned Movement, its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping forces, its advocacy for nuclear disarmament, and its diplomatic efforts in resolving international conflicts through dialogue and multilateral cooperation. Project one instructs you to draw a map of the world and mark the countries of the Allied Forces and the Axis Powers. For the Axis Powers, you will mark Germany, Italy, and Japan. For the Allied Forces, you will mark Britain, France, Russia, the United States of America, China, and other supporting nations. Project two asks you to collect pictures of the flags of different countries of the world. You can gather these from textbooks, official government websites, or reputable encyclopedias to understand the symbolism and history behind each national flag. [CHECKPOINT] I hope this detailed audio lesson has helped you grasp every important fact, date, and concept from this chapter. Make sure to revise the casualty figures, the exact names of the dictators, the contributions of the Indian Army, and the independence years carefully. Practice writing the answers to the exercise questions in your own words while retaining the exact facts. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]