Recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces, 1939–1945

Abstract

The British rulers pushed India into the Second World War without taking the Indians into confidence. The Indian National Congress opposed any type of co-operation with the British war effort. The political climate deteriorated with each passing day. The Quit India Movement, launched in August 1942, further aggravated the unrest. Further, the Japanese had subjugated Malaya and Burma and were threatening India. The need for augmenting the armed forces was pressing indeed. However, the moot question is how, despite the Congress’s opposition to the war, over two million Indians joined the armed forces to support the British, leading to the largest voluntary force worldwide. This article seeks to investigate the reasons for the expansion of the Indian armed forces during the war. The article also seeks to examine the impact of the large mobilisation of Indian youth. It is based on interviews and biographies of the men who joined the armed forces during the war, as well as the original records available at the National Archives of India and some other archives.