Second World War and Congress

The Second World War (1939–1945) had a profound impact on India’s political, economic, and social landscape, especially in relation to the Indian National Congress (INC). The war period marked a crucial phase in India’s struggle for independence, as it brought into sharp focus the contradiction between Britain’s fight for freedom abroad and its denial of the same to its colonial subjects. The Congress, as the principal nationalist organisation, responded with a mix of protest, negotiation, and resistance, shaping the course of the freedom movement in the early 1940s.

Background: Outbreak of War and British Policy

The Second World War began in September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Without consulting Indian leaders or legislative bodies, the British Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, announced that India was also at war as part of the British Empire. This unilateral decision infuriated Indian political parties, particularly the Indian National Congress, which viewed it as a blatant disregard for India’s sovereignty and political opinion.
At the time, provincial governments in several regions were led by Congress ministries formed after the 1937 elections, under the Government of India Act, 1935. The failure of the British government to consult Indian representatives and its refusal to define war aims concerning India’s constitutional future led the Congress to reconsider its cooperation with the colonial administration.

Congress Response and Resignation of Ministries

The Congress Working Committee met in Wardha in October 1939 to deliberate on India’s position. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress expressed sympathy with the democratic nations fighting fascism but refused unconditional support to the British war effort. It demanded a clear statement from the British government affirming India’s right to self-determination after the war.
The British response, conveyed through Linlithgow’s statement of 17 October 1939, was unsatisfactory. It merely promised that constitutional reforms would be considered after the war, without offering any immediate transfer of power. Viewing this as an insult, the Congress instructed all its provincial ministries to resign in protest. By the end of 1939, Congress ministries in eight provinces—including the United Provinces, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Orissa, and the Central Provinces—had resigned. This action symbolised a complete breakdown of cooperation between the Congress and the British government.

Contrasting Reactions from Other Political Groups

While the Congress adopted a stance of non-cooperation, other political entities responded differently. The Muslim League, under Muhammad Ali Jinnah, supported the British war effort, seeing it as an opportunity to strengthen its political position. Jinnah described the Congress’s resignation as a “Day of Deliverance” for Muslims, thereby widening the political rift between the two communities.
Similarly, the Hindu Mahasabha and certain princely states remained supportive of the British, seeking to safeguard their interests. The Communist Party of India (CPI) initially opposed the war as an imperialist conflict but shifted its stance to support the Allies after 1941, following Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union.

The August Offer of 1940

To assuage Indian discontent, the British government made a conciliatory gesture known as the August Offer on 8 August 1940. It promised the expansion of the Viceroy’s Executive Council and the establishment of a post-war constitution-making body with Indian participation. However, it also reiterated that no constitutional change would be imposed without the consent of minorities—a clause seen as a veiled reference to the Muslim League’s demands.
The Congress rejected the offer, declaring that it provided no real transfer of power or assurance of independence. Gandhi initiated the Individual Satyagraha campaign in 1940–41 to assert the right to free expression against war repression. Leaders such as Vinoba Bhave and Jawaharlal Nehru were among the first to offer individual resistance by delivering anti-war speeches and courting arrest. Although limited in scale, this movement symbolised moral opposition to imperialism during wartime.

The Cripps Mission, 1942

As the war intensified and Japan’s victories in Southeast Asia brought the conflict to India’s doorstep, the British government sought greater Indian cooperation. In March 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the British War Cabinet, was sent to India with proposals for Indian participation in war governance and a post-war dominion status.
The Cripps Proposals offered the promise of full self-government after the war, with provinces having the right to opt out of the union if they wished. However, the Congress found the offer unacceptable because it deferred independence until after the war and allowed the possibility of India’s partition. Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi famously dismissed it as a “post-dated cheque on a failing bank.” The failure of the Cripps Mission deepened mistrust between the Congress and the British authorities.

The Quit India Movement, 1942

Following the collapse of negotiations, and amid growing wartime hardships such as inflation, shortages, and repression, the Congress decided to intensify its demand for immediate independence. On 8 August 1942, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) met in Bombay and passed the Quit India Resolution, calling for an end to British rule in India. Gandhi’s stirring call of “Do or Die” became the rallying cry of the movement.
The British response was swift and severe. Within hours of the resolution, all top Congress leaders, including Gandhi, Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, were arrested. The movement soon took a spontaneous and militant turn, with widespread strikes, sabotage of communication lines, and mass demonstrations across the country. Despite brutal suppression, the Quit India Movement became one of the most significant expressions of mass resistance during the freedom struggle and marked the political high point of Congress opposition during the war.

Wartime Economic and Social Effects

The war years brought enormous economic strain to India. Prices of essential commodities soared, industrial production shifted towards military needs, and rural distress intensified. The Bengal Famine of 1943, which claimed nearly three million lives, was one of the most tragic outcomes of wartime policies, exacerbated by administrative neglect and British prioritisation of war logistics.
At the same time, wartime demands accelerated industrial development and labour mobilisation, which later contributed to post-war economic changes. The Indian armed forces expanded significantly, with over two million soldiers participating in various theatres of war, including North Africa, Europe, and Burma.

Congress and the End of the War

By the end of the war in 1945, Britain’s global power had weakened, and the demand for Indian independence had become irresistible. The Congress emerged as the principal representative of national aspirations, despite its suppression during the war years. The release of political prisoners, the exposure of the Indian National Army (INA) trials, and the Labour government’s victory in Britain set the stage for decisive negotiations leading to independence.
The wartime experiences convinced British policymakers that maintaining colonial control over India was no longer feasible. The Congress’s steadfast insistence on independence throughout the war years strengthened its moral and political authority, paving the way for the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 and ultimately the Indian Independence Act of 1947.