Original subtitles

April 18, 1944. In a forceful action,

Indian forces counterattack the Japanese in the mountainous area of ​​Kohíma.

After almost 8 years of war in Asia, Japan had finally reached the gates of

British India. But India would not fall easily like its neighbors, but would give an exemplary fight to

Japan and also to Hitler on several fronts, contributing 2 and a half million volunteers

to the Allied effort throughout the war. As if this were not enough, he also faces

British rule with Mahatma Gandhi at the helm to obtain his emancipation.

This is the story of India in the Second World War,

with its victories, its tragedies and its independence from the British Empire.

When the war began in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland, India formed part of the

British Empire and was the jewel of the English crown, also including present-day Pakistan,

Bangladesh and Kashmir. Formally conquered in 1858 by the British, at the beginning

of the war it contained 380 million human beings, of which only

100,000 were English. Because of this, the main official languages ​​are English and Hindi,

apart from ancestral ones such as Sanskrit. India is an agricultural-based country that often

suffers from cyclones and torrential rains. The vast majority of Indians live and

work in the countryside and 80% are illiterate. The English export raw materials to the

metropolis of the Empire. In the textile industry, cotton is sold to cities

such as Manchester where clothing is manufactured. The same happens with indigo, jute or tea.

The average life expectancy is just 31 years and the main religions are

Hinduism and then Islam. Various faiths such as Buddhism,

Judaism and Sikhism, among others, are also practiced.

In the 4 million square kilometers that make up India,

about 2 million are directly administered by the British Viceroy,

while in the other half of the territory there are about 600 districts known

as principalities. In some cases they reach the size and population of

France or Spain. These principalities are governed by hundreds of local chiefs,

nicknamed by different names such as maharajas, sultans, nizams, nabobs or princes. Most

of these are educated in the United Kingdom, and are loyal to the British Viceroy of India

to maintain his position of power without problems. Despite this, some become very rich,

as is the case of the Nizam of Hyderabad, who became the richest man in the world in 1937.

The vast majority of Indians, however, are discriminated against by

the British through of divisions on trains and in places of recreation,

with “Whites Only” or “Europeans Only” signs.

More extreme than this, however, is the caste system of the Hindus themselves. With a

pyramidal shape, the society is divided according to the belief in the God Purusha in a forceful way.

Below everyone, there are the Dalits or so-called untouchables,

who total 80 million people considered pariahs,

who can only perform the most marginal tasks and are totally discriminated against.

Above are the workers or servants called “Shudras”. Above are the merchants

called “Vaishyas” and then the kings or warriors called “Yatriyas”. Above all are

the priests known as Brahmins, those who claim to carry the power that sustains the universe.

Despite this caste system and British control,

a Parliament with its own political parties operates in India.

The main one of them, the Congress party created in 1885, with a

center-left social democratic and liberal orientation, which is the base of the independence movement.

Returning to the war, in September 1939, England declared war on the

Third Reich. The British Viceroy of the Raj, Lord Linlithgow, announces on his own and

without consulting Indian politicians, that India will support the fight against Germany.

At this time, Japan has been waging an open war against China since 1937,

which is a close threat to India.

Soon, recruiting stations open and more than 2 and a half million people join.

They added to the war effort throughout the war. Men and women make up the British

Indian Army, which will be the largest volunteer army in history. They will take place

and fight alongside allies in France, North Africa, Singapore and other countries.

Of the 10 million soldiers mobilized by the United Kingdom, 25% come from India.

The traditionally warrior races, which have generations of military tradition, the

Nepalese Sikhs, Marahatos and Gurkhas are initially the chosen ones. But with the increase in the needs

of the conflict, combatants from other regions and ethnicities are joining. Even “untouchables” from Bengal

join the ranks because belonging to the army ensures they have food.

During the year 1940 they received training for modern warfare and some were sent to France.

Although the European war seems far away, the Indian elite brings back their children who

study in Europe, especially after the fall of France.

On the other hand, along with recruitment, Germans and Italians are also imprisoned in India. There are

barely 2,500 of them and one of them world famous is the mountaineer Heinrich Jarrer,

who is the protagonist of the film “Seven Years in Tibet” based on his memoirs.

But in parallel with its participation in the war,

India has not stopped fighting for its independence.

Since 1919, Indians have sought freedom with more desperation. In that

year, English Brigadier General Réjinald Dáier repressed a peaceful demonstration,

leaving almost 400 civilians dead, many of them children, and more than a thousand injured. The savage massacre

generated global shock and was the beginning of India's quest for freedom.

About 10 years later, led by a small and peaceful man named Mohándas

Káramchand Gandhi, Indians unite in a project of liberation from the British yoke.

They call him “Mahatma”, which in Sanskrit means “great soul”. Their path

is that of non-violent and pacifist civil disobedience. He is a vegetarian

and wears self-made peasant clothes to be close to his people.

In 1930, Gandhi started his movement when he caused thousands of Indians

to violate the British monopoly on salt. The British had prohibited collecting seawater

in a bowl and letting it evaporate. Gandhi walks 300 kilometers to the coast and encourages the people

to collect the salt. Consequently, he and thousands are detained for months in retaliation.

Mohandas Gandhi's peace movement takes on increasing

prominence during the conflict. Both Gandhi and his companion

Jawaharlal Nehrú long for an independent and united India. The other part of the movement, led

by Mohamed Jinnah and the Muslim League, demand a separate Muslim nation.

Pitted against Gandhi's anti-war movement is Subhas Chandra Bose,

a nationalist leader who believes in violence to gain independence. Bose is an

intelligent and educated man in England like Gandhi and his companions,

even being President of the National Congress until the outbreak of war. The path of

anti-British violence leads him to resign from his position and approach the Axis of Germany and Japan.

Around May 1940, Winston Churchill was named Prime Minister of Great Britain,

and at the same time Germany invaded France. The English had sent help to the French,

among which were 4 companies from India that fought fiercely.

These units, after Germany's resounding success, end up being surrounded in Dunkirk. Some

338,000 soldiers are trapped, so Churchill launches Operation Dynamo in

which he rescues the Allied troops by sea. It is too late, however, for France to resist.

After 45 days of combat with Germany, the second largest empire in the world signs its

surrender. The French embarrassment and the world's surprise are absolute,

England finds itself alone against Hitler. Gandhi in these moments of anxiety calls on the

English people not to resist. Peaceful resistance with the English could work

but hardly with the Nazis, which earned Mahatma a lot of criticism.

In September of the same year, a German submarine sinks a British ship, where 160 Indians perish.

that make up the crew. Nicknamed Láscars, Indian sailors work in the

English merchant navy, but they are discriminated against in their treatment and salary. During

the entire war, some 7,000 Indian sailors would lose their lives in attacks like this.

Returning to Indian politics, in October 1940, Gandhi authorized and gave free rein

to personal satyagraha. Satyagraha is the affirmation of freedom of expression,

so Gandhi's impulse resonates and 500 peaceful resistance assemblies are created.

The Individual Satyagraha movement provides a platform for

common people to express their disagreement against British policies on a personal level.

Consequently, the British repress the Indians and arrest 20 thousand people.

Going to the military level, in December 1940, Indian troops participated in Operation

Compass in Egypt against the Italian forces sent by Mussolini. The 4th Indian Division

together with the 7th of the British Army attack the Italians and recover the city of Sidi

Barrani. They capture 40,000 prisoners and the Italians must retreat into

Libya. The 4th Indian Division is recognized and acclaimed by the Allies,

and is nicknamed the Red Eagle Division, this being its symbol.

Around January 1941, Indian nationalist leader Chandra Bose is placed under

house arrest by the British, but manages to escape to Germany.

Bose escapes with the help of the spy Bhagat Talwar, who works for all

sides but who is a convinced Indian independence and communist.

Bose, already in Germany, makes direct contact with the authorities of the Third Reich.

Returning to the war, in February 1941, the Indian troops once again covered themselves in glory with

an exceptional performance in Africa. The 4th and 5th Indian infantry divisions

are thrown against the Italian colony of Eritrea in the town of Keren. This

enclave protects the capital and the main port of the country, making it crucial for

Italian defense. The Italians have the advantage of the terrain, which is made up of valleys

and granite hills that leave attackers exposed. With barely 13 thousand men,

the Indian divisions set out to conquer the hills with courage.

An example of this is the action of Richpal Ram who leads a suicidal charge against a hill,

costing him a foot and later receiving the English Victory Medal for that fact.

The Italians, led by the Savoy grenadiers, fiercely defend their positions,

and if they lose them they counterattack the next day to recover them. For almost

two months, both sides bleed together in a back-and-forth, reminiscent of that on Mamayev Hill

in Stalingrad. Finally, the Indians emerge victorious and give Britain

full control of the Red Sea and the Italian colonies in East Africa.

Prime Minister Churchill profusely congratulates the Viceroy of India for

the great performance of the Indian troops who earn the respect of the entire world.

After these events, in May, Indian troops from the 8th Infantry Division

support the British in Iraq, to ​​overthrow the Iraqi prime minister who is a supporter of the

Axis. The government of Iraq, having received small support from the German Luftwaffe under

Werner Junck as well as support from Vichy France through Syria,

holds out for a few weeks before falling into English hands. The Indians are

also protagonists of this victory, which secures Iraq's oil in the hands of the allies.

By the end of 1941, the British launch another attack in Libya, driving Rommel back

to his original position at El Aghelia, where the Indian divisions again fight very well.

While this is happening, on the Asian front, Japan attacks the United States in Hawaii on the one hand and

England in Hong Kong on the other. With the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the

United States enters the war forcefully on the allied side in favor of England.

The Indian regiments of Rajput and Punjab participate in the English defense of Hong Kong,

resisting for 18 days until the city's surrender due to hunger and thirst at Japanese hands.

At the same time, the Japanese landed in Malaysia and Thailand. Two divisions and a Hindu brigade

also participated in the defense in a leading way, but were ultimately defeated.

With total air superiority, the Japanese also won the battle of the Gulf of Siam,

in modern-day Vietnam. The 35,000-ton British battleships HMS Prince

of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk.

The Japanese seem to not only devastate their land armies,

but also on the seas. They invade and take the American Philippines,

with General Mac Arthur retreating and swearing to return to the islands one day.

The battle for Borneo also takes place, where the Indian infantry participates in the

defense of Brunei, its capital. Once the capital falls, the Indians escape to

Dutch Borneo where they organize a guerrilla war until the end of the conflict.

Another episode is the devastating Japanese attack against Burma from Thailand.

As usual, the 17th Indian Division faces the Japanese but is defeated.

Also in Malaysia, the Parit Sulong massacre took place,

where Japanese troops murdered 150 Indians and Australians who had already surrendered.

By mid-February 1942, the Allies retreat south and entrench themselves in Singapore.

This is considered an impregnable position from the sea. The city is built on an island

linked by a dam bridge to the Malaysian peninsula. Although the British destroy the

dam, the Japanese launch an excellent attack from the sea that has unexpected success. After

a few days of fierce fighting, the Allies are forced to retreat, allowing

the Japanese to capture their main supply depots. Furthermore, the Allies barely have

10 planes against the hundreds of Japanese planes, which makes things even worse.

Finally, Singapore falls into Japanese hands and 85 thousand soldiers are taken prisoner,

about 130 thousand if we add the previous ones from Malaysia. Of these,

about 67 thousand are Indian soldiers. For Winston Churchill, it is the worst

disaster in British military history. In India many members of the

independence movement see it as the collapse of the British Empire.

In this way, in a synchronized military operation unprecedented in history,

Japan manages to occupy almost all the locations in the Pacific, extending up to 7 thousand kilometers

away from Tokyo in a giant semicircle. The plan drawn up by the Imperial General Staff is

impeccable and is the envy of European general staffs. In mid-1942 the Japanese are the

owners of the Far East and the Pacific, being a latent threat to Australia and India.

The Japanese fleet has 381 ships and 11 aircraft carriers. Not counting the most powerful battleship

on the planet, nicknamed Yamato, which has 9 enormous 457-millimeter guns.

The impact on India of the Japanese deployment is enormous. War has reached

the borders too quickly and is no longer a distant event.

The Japanese promise the Hindus that after the war they will be free from the British yoke. Singaporeans

of Hindu origin are promised to respect their property,

and some 30,000 captured prisoners enlist in the pro-Japanese Indian National Army. The

brigades of the Indian National Army organized by the Japanese are called “Gandhi”,

“Nehrú” and “Azad”. Its emblem is a Bengal tiger on the flag of

India. This army is commanded by Captain Mójan Singh. Singh is

a member of the independence movement and is ably contacted by the Japanese.

Those who do not join are taken to different destinations in Asia such as New Guinea for

forced labor. The “Asian co-prosperity sphere” is promoted from Tokyo, which would free Asia

from Western influence. In reality it is a kind of Japanese living space,

where the rules are imposed on other countries and treated in an authoritarian manner.

In a broader aspect, the Axis dream exalted by German propaganda

is to link Rommel's Afrika Korps and Japanese troops in India,

uniting both empires. But this will never go beyond being a dream.

The Hindus, for their part, know the cruelty and brutality of the occupation

Japanese of China and Korea, and now they take note of the same in Burma, Indochina and the Philippines.

From the Allied side, in India, they are preparing for a massive

Japanese landing in Bengal or Orissa. In Bengal, uncertainty is

complete and the Japanese are expected to occupy the region within months.

Towards the end of February 1942, the largest naval battle since 1916 is fought

in the Java Sea. The Japanese manage to sink 3 Allied cruisers and 3 destroyers,

then occupying all of the Dutch Indies, which are rich in resources.

After this the British prepare to evacuate Burma,

destroying the port and oil facilities before evacuating the capital.

The Japanese take over Burma which is almost part of India. Until 1937 it was part of the

British Raj and the relationship between both states is total. The social, commercial and

cultural links could not be deeper. There are even a million Indians living in Burma. Also

known as Burma, the region is a source of wood, minerals, but especially rice.

Through a route that crosses this country, India sent supplies to

China, which was fighting the Empire of Japan in a fight to the death.

The Japanese rush to cut off this route and thus manage to weaken the Chinese.

The battle front in the Burma area is the wild jungle,

which is worse than the Russian winter. It drives the combatants crazy, who are ravaged by

diseases of all kinds. Snake and insect bites, as well as malaria,

dysentery, yellow fever, typhus or dengue are everyday things. The heat, the swamps,

the inaccessible mountain ranges and the suffocating vegetation make up a desolate panorama.

Faced with the Japanese attack, civilians panic and flee towards

India, with 600,000 people crossing the border with the province of Bengal.

Most arrive malnourished or sick and the refugee camps are in chaos.

In general terms, refugees from all over the world also come to India,

from Malta to Kazakhstan, as well as Poles and Thais.

The coastal cities seem deserted, as merchants, faced with the threat of invasion

and constant Japanese bombing, flee to the interior of the territory.

But the sea is a source of fishing and trade from which many Indians live,

complicating any evacuation from Bengal.

Both the Indian state and the British colonial state appear to

have collapsed, which will result in a terrible famine the following year.

In April 1942, Japanese forces sink the English aircraft carrier Hermes

in the Indian Ocean. They also bomb Siri Lanka and the major city of Visakhapatnam.

The Bay of Bengal is surrounded by the Japanese fleet and India is at

its most vulnerable. Given this, troops from Africa are

urgently repatriated and located in Bengal and Orissa to defend the border.

For the good of India, China and the rest of Asia, in June the Japanese suffer their

greatest defeat against the United States. At Midway Atoll, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,

both fleets collide, ending everything in disaster for Japan. They lose

4 aircraft carriers in just 3 days, which generates concern in the Japanese high command.

But for England this joy was short-lived. In India there is an

open rebellion against British colonialism. The party led by Gandhi adopts a

resolution calling not to support the war if England does not promise Independence.

The English must leave after the war if they want the support of the Indian people.

Faced with this frontal challenge, the English reacted by imprisoning Gandhi and all the leaders of the

movement. Protests break out and direct clashes occur between the Indians and the

police and the British army. 70 police stations, 250 train stations and 85

government buildings are burned. England mobilized up to 57 infantry battalions to restore order,

leaving 4,000 dead and 90,000 imprisoned. This is a point of no return for the

British crown, which is beginning to realize that keeping India under its power is unviable.

On the other side, in the heart of the Axis, the Waffen SS Indian legion is formed.

Made up of volunteers, it has up to 4,500 soldiers who fight for Hitler and

the independence of their country. They will participate in various battles, from Normandy to Berlin.

By the end of 1942, the British achieved a definitive victory against Rommel's troops

in Alamein. Indian troops take up combat in an exemplary manner once again,

and will continue to participate in Italy's campaign against Mussolini.

While this is happening, General Charles Wingate takes control in India

to defend the Japanese invasion. Windgate creates a group of commandos to operate behind

enemy lines. Nicknamed Chindits after the mythical Burmese lion, this force

trains to carry 33 kilos of weight and march through the jungle until they reach the

Japanese lines. Once infiltrated, the chindits destroy fuel and food depots,

weakening the Japanese forces. In addition to creating this unit, Wingate

counterattacks in Burma, occupying Arakan and leaving 100,000 soldiers on the border as a defensive force.

While this is happening, the pro-Japanese Indian army of 43 thousand soldiers suffers a

change in its leadership. Chief Mohan Singh is deposed and imprisoned by the Japanese, and is

replaced by Chandra Bose, who travels from Germany to take control of the Indian force.

Towards March 1943, famine struck hard in the Bengal region, causing around

2 or 3 million deaths. Malaria and smallpox also hit the Indian population like

a hurricane, overflowing the hospitals of Calcutta. Families disintegrate with child abandonment,

sale of children, prostitution and all kinds of situations. People from the countryside migrate to the

cities only to die lying in the streets. Dogs and scavenger birds take the opportunity to

eat the human remains that are everywhere. Clothing is also in short supply, since India

sells much of its production to the British, causing the little remaining fabric to be sold

by speculators, who buy and sell at a very high price. Consequently, peasants

cannot buy clothes, going so far as to steal fabrics from tombs in cemeteries.

While this is happening, the Viceroy of India, Victor Linlithgow,

warns of a growing famine and requests the shipment of food throughout 1943,

but these are denied by the British military committee.

The British in the metropolis, including Winston Churchill,

preferred to avoid aid to Bengal so as not to delay the preparations for D-Day, nor

the operations in Africa, Italy and Greece. In his own words at a meeting,

India had to pay the price of the war as everyone else had done, and furthermore,

any aid would be scarce because Indians reproduce like rabbits. Probably

at the beginning of the famine Churchill did not see the dimension of the disaster that was being generated.

Furthermore, it must be clarified that the availability of ships to send grain to India,

avoiding the danger of the Japanese fleet, was complex to say the least, with the

English fleet carrying out operations around the world simultaneously. This shortage of ships

is evident in the refusal of President Roosevelt of the United States to help India,

alleging that they needed their ships for their own purposes.

Another person who requests help is the British Secretary for India, Leo Amery, who also

makes clear the worrying situation in Bengal that was becoming sinister in mid-

1943. But once again he is also ignored by the British committee, which postpones the aid.

Despite the poor British response throughout most of 1943,

the situation had been generated by a variety of different factors. First,

a cyclone that had devastated the rice harvest a few months earlier, as well as inflation and

speculation by local merchants. Secondly, the difficulty of importing food

from Burma due to the Japanese presence. In addition to this, local governments in India

that had surplus grain did not send anything during the first months. Once

nearby provinces began sending aid, a flood destroyed several railroad tracks,

making the arrival of supplies more difficult. Once these roads are repaired, aid arrives in

large quantities, but the local government does not have enough men to distribute

the food throughout the territory. Churchill, finally seeing the dimension of the tragedy,

asks the new viceroy, Pércival Wavell, to spare no effort to stop the shortage,

even if he must divert ships from the Allied military effort.

Viceroy Wavell orders total military mobilization, bringing 15,000 soldiers to

distribute the food. With distribution resolved, the famine begins to subside,

ending in December 1943 when the new rice crop can be harvested.

Survivors of famine and epidemics

desperately gather the harvest themselves. Although the very poor context and conditions

of Bengal generated the famine, it is clear that the British policy of prioritizing the

war effort before the Bengali population also prevented a rapid response that would stop

the tragedy in time. The local government of Bengal, along with the Indian upper class and speculative merchants

, also did not help solve the problem. The Bengal famine is a huge tragedy

within an even bigger tragedy, which continues to be debated around the world today.

While the Bengal famine was taking place, the Japanese placed Chandra Bose at the head

of the “Provisional Government of Free India” based on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

This Indian government had its own currency, judicial courts and even its own civil code.

By September 1943, the Allies landed in Italy as well,

with 3 Indian divisions and a Gurkha brigade participating. A few months later, they assault the

German Gustav Line defending Rome. On this line the battle for Monte Cassino takes place, defended by

the 1st German parachute division. The 4th Indian Division charges furiously towards the hills,

but is brutally decimated. Then the Australians,

Poles, South Africans, French, English and Americans are also decimated . Only after 4 months of

fighting, the Germans retreat. Allied casualties are 60 thousand against just 20 thousand Germans.

A few months later, in March 1944, the Japanese launched their invasion of India. After settling

in Burma, General Mutaguchi in charge of the 15th Army presents a plan to

invade India. The idea generates great discussions among the Japanese generals,

since Japan has been at war with China for 6 years and with the United States for 2.

Facing India in its difficult geography could only worsen the Japanese situation.

According to Mutaguchi, an advance in India could cut off Indian supplies to

China permanently and prevent the construction of the

Ledo highway that was being built for that purpose. With this idea Mutaguchi forces his invasion

and gains the support of Hideki Toyo, the Japanese prime minister. In this way, Japan invades

India with a total of 80 thousand infantry soldiers, and with the support of

Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. On the other side, the Indians total a total of 100 thousand men.

The Japanese attack relies on a distractive movement in Arakan and a main one in

Imphal, to obtain a quick victory because the troops in the middle of the

jungle and mountains are very difficult to supply with food and ammunition. If

they do not surround and capture Imphal within a few weeks, they will not be able to sustain the offensive.

This is how the Japanese launch themselves, determined to win quickly.

But they clash against a renewed and efficiently trained Indian army,

which has British and American support.

The fighting takes place fiercely and wildly in the middle of the jungle.

Shortly after the action began, the Japanese diversionary attack launched

in Arakan failed completely. This allows the Americans to transport

the 5th Indian Division from Arakan to Imphal by plane. In just 11 days

the veteran Indian division is defending Imphal in a determined manner.

In the south, Chandra Bose's nationalist army

makes some gains, reaching the Hin Hills.

Starting in April, the Japanese attacked Imphal from all directions but the lack of

anti-tank weapons as well as short food rations prevented them from advancing. Each Japanese advance

is paid for with many dead and the offensive stagnates around Imphal for weeks.

While this is happening, the Japanese also attack Kohima, in northeastern India.

A small group of 1,500 British, Indian, and Nepalese soldiers face a

Japanese division of 15,000 men. The city is isolated and can only be supplied

by air. The besieged men resist stoically until the arrival of reinforcements,

especially those of the Punjab regiment. The Japanese must withdraw after 2

months of fighting with 5,000 dead, not counting those killed by hunger and jungle diseases.

After this, in the Imphal area the Indians counterattack and the Japanese withdraw,

abandoning all their artillery in a disorderly manner. They were absolutely exhausted,

having suffered more than 50 thousand casualties and the loss of all their horses

and pack oxen. The Japanese defeat is decisive and the Indians rush

towards the Burmese capital of Rangoon, which is captured without resistance.

While this is happening, Mahatma Gandhi is released from prison, after having been imprisoned in

August 1942. Gandhi will push even harder for India's independence.

In January 1945, Indian troops of the 26th Infantry Division joined the

British in the Allied victory at the Battle of Ramree Island in Burma.

During the battle and fleeing through the jungle, between 500 and

1,000 Japanese soldiers are eaten by saltwater crocodiles during the night.

Around May 9, 1945, with the surrender of Germany, the war in Europe ends

and the allies concentrate on defeating Japan completely.

After the Battle of Berlin, the remnants of the

SS Indian Volunteer Legion attempt to escape to neutral Switzerland, but are captured by the Americans and

British. They are deported to India to stand trial for treason, but are eventually

released. In India they are not seen as traitors, but as nationalist dissidents.

In mid-June, both Nehru and the Indian leaders of the Congress are

released after being imprisoned for 3 years. After this, a conference takes place between

the Viceroy of India Lord Wavell and these leaders, including Gandhi.

In this series of meetings, the future Indian independence begins to be discussed.

By August 1945, after warnings to the Japanese, the atomic bomb

“Little Boy” was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, causing 140,000 deaths.

On the 9th, upon receiving no response from Japan, the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

The Soviets also invade Manchuria, devastating the Japanese in said territory.

All this, added to the immense hardship of the Japanese people,

is enough. Japan finally surrenders on September 2, 1945.

A very different world emerges from the end of World War II. The horror of Nazism has

disappeared and Japan's imperial desires are no longer a threat. But for the

United Kingdom, victory and sacrifice are not free. England has been involved in a fight for

its survival against Hitler and Japan that has left it exhausted. The Victorian era is over

and with it, traditional colonialism. England must let go of the so-called

“Jewel of the Empire”, India, after 87 years of total control.

A nation that had made a gigantic sacrifice during the war was demanding its

independence. At the end of the conflict, India had contributed 2,500,000 men to the Allied army,

with some 4,000 being decorated. 31 of them were awarded

the Victoria Cross, the highest British military decoration for “courage in the face of the enemy.”

But 87,000 have also died. soldiers and more than 3000000 innocent civilians.

This enormous contribution was recognized by Marshal Claude Auchinleck

when he once said that the British would not have been able to win the First and Second

World Wars without the Indian Army. Such a statement should remain forever

. in the history books the courage and sacrifice of India during this conflict.

Beyond this, with the end of the war the country is in a deliberative state. Demonstrations

and strikes are permanent, with civil resistance promoted by Gandhi.

Furthermore, the British Conservative Party that had governed until then,

is replaced by the Labor Party, which is much more inclined to

the independence of India. Added to this are the pressures from the United States and the USSR.

By February 1947, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee

announced the independence of India in the near future. For this, he sends Lord

Mountbatten as Viceroy. Finally, on August 15, 1947, India declared its independence.

After independence, tensions between Muslims led by Jinnah,

who want a separate Muslim nation, and the Hindu majority led by Gandhi and Nehrú,

who prefer a single country, become unsustainable.

Gandhi offers Jinnah to be the leader of united India even though he is a Muslim. The Hindus

reluctantly accept Gandhi's proposal but not the Muslims who want their own nation.

This is how the division between India and Pakistan occurs.

England commissions lawyer Cyril Radcliff to draw the borders.

The partition of the Indian subcontinent that would be present-day India and present-day

Pakistan is decided . Also a part of Bengal, in the Muslim-majority East of India,

remains under the control of Pakistan. This would become Bangladesh in 1971, as an independent country.

The migration of Muslims from India to Pakistan is the largest in history,

with some 15 million displaced.

Muslims migrate to Pakistan but Hindus and Sikhs living in the territory that is now

Pakistan must go to India. There are thousands of kilometers and the poorest travel them on foot.

The columns that cross each other confront each other in violent clashes, as if in a religious war.

This uncontrolled migration causes nearly 1 million deaths,

more than 100,000 raped women and 12 million homeless people. A real disaster.

On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, prepared to go to his

prayer place in Delhi. He has fasted and plans to make a pilgrimage to Pakistan to contribute to peace.

From the crowd that follows his movements with devotion, one Nathuram Godse emerges. He is a Hindu

nationalist who admires Gandhi but rejects his support for Muslims. After making his way among

the people, Godse shoots Gandhi's chest with a Beretta pistol, hitting it decisively.

At the age of 78, one of the great protagonists of contemporary history dies.

Gandhi's funeral is attended by 2,000,000 people, including leaders from around the world. His ashes

are thrown into the Ganges River where they merge with the new free India that has just been born.

Almost 80 years later, India has prospered greatly, life expectancy increased from 35 to

67 years, its economy grows rapidly year after year accompanied by

very great educational development. Production is no longer only agricultural but also industrial and services

of all kinds. The Dalit class, who were immensely discriminated against,

are little by little achieving better rights and living conditions. The fight had been worth it.