levo

India, c1914–48: The Road to Independence

Britain and India, 1942-45

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 2

Overview

Recall questions on the sterling balances, the Indianisation of the army, Wavell's assessment, American pressure, and the failure of the Simla Conference.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Which British government came to power in 1945?

Who and when

How did the war change British power in India?

Who and when

How did American attitudes affect British policy?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Which British government came to power in 1945?

    Model answer

    Attlee's Labour government, which favoured Indian independence.

  2. 2

    Who became Viceroy in 1943?

    Model answer

    Lord Wavell.

  3. 3

    How did the war change British power in India?

    Model answer

    Britain emerged owing India over £1,000 million in sterling balances, so the imperial relationship had reversed and India was no longer profitable to hold.

  4. 4

    How did the war affect the Indian Army?

    Model answer

    It expanded to over two million volunteers and was heavily Indianised in its officer corps, so Britain could no longer assume its unconditional loyalty.

  5. 5

    What was Wavell's assessment of the situation?

    Model answer

    That the administration was exhausted, that British officials were too few and too old to hold India by force, and that a political settlement was urgent.

  6. 6

    How did American attitudes affect British policy?

    Model answer

    Roosevelt pressed for Indian self-government and the Atlantic Charter's language of self-determination made continued imperial rule harder to defend.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

The Crusades, c1095–1204
England, 1509–1603: Authority, Nation and Religion
Britain, 1625–1701: Conflict, Revolution and Settlement
Britain, c1785–c1870: Democracy, Protest and Reform

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

Luis de .
RequesensAlbaGranvelle

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AThe government admitted 96 dead and 333 wounded.
BOther estimates run to several hundred dead.
COpponents claimed thousands.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Robert Aske led the Pilgrimage of Grace.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in India, c1914–48: The Road to Independence, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.