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What did the Second World War look, feel and sound like in India? This blog combines oral testimony with The National Archives’ documents to explore Subhas Chandra Bose's impact on India from 1939–1945.

There are many themes that could be discussed regarding India’s contribution to the Second World War. For this blog, I decided to focus on the Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose and the wider role of the Quit India movement. This movement encouraged civil disobedience and aimed to end British rule over India. While many associate the Quit India Movement with Mahatma Gandhi who launched it in 1942, Bose's impact was substantial.

Subhas Chandra Bose, leader of the Indian Independence League and National Army, around 1930. Alamy Ltd

Who was Subhas Chandra Bose?

Bose was a controversial yet charismatic figure in Indian politics. He was born into wealth, unlike most people living in India at the time, and educated at the prestigious Cambridge University.

While this background could have helped him gain a career in the British-controlled Indian Civil Service, his passion for India’s freedom led him to join the Indian National Congress. This was India's oldest political party.

In the party, he quickly rose through the ranks and became known for his radical views. This included his advocacy for complete independence from British rule, as opposed to the more moderate approach of his colleagues.

Due to his views, Bose eventually found himself in serious disagreement with Congress leaders, including Gandhi. This led to him resigning from the Congress presidency in 1939.

Ambitious to spread his radical politics, he went on to form the All India Forward Bloc, a left-wing faction within the Indian National Congress. Through this group, Bose aimed to consolidate the political left and gain support in his home state, Bengal. During his time in the Bloc, he successfully recruited university students to his cause.

However, by 1943, Bose had largely fallen out with the Congress movement. This is because, unlike most political figures in the Congress, he strongly believed in the philosophy that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. This led him to seek help from the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan (who were at war with Britain) to remove the British from India.

As part of my research into Subhas Chandra Bose and India during the Second World War, I interviewed Dr Phyllis D’Netto. She was a child in Calcutta during this period and witnessed Bose’s rise to power.

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