Winston Churchill
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement"
Meaning
Winston Churchill was the Conservative Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War (1940–45). He was a diehard imperialist, meaning he was firmly against giving up the Empire. He said he had not become Prime Minister to "preside over the liquidation" (the break-up) of the British Empire. Under pressure, he still agreed to send the Cripps Mission to India in 1942.
Example
In spring 1942 Churchill was persuaded to send Sir Stafford Cripps to India to win Indian support for the war. The mission failed, partly over the demand for an Indian Defence Member. After the war, Churchill's party lost the 1945 election, and the new Labour government committed itself to Indian independence.
Don't confuse with
- Clement Attlee's Labour government (from 1945): it committed Britain to Indian independence. Churchill had resisted that step.
Related concepts
- Provincial elections of 1937
- Congress ministries 1937-39
- Wardha scheme of basic education
- Congress Socialist Party
- Haripura session 1938
- Tripuri crisis 1939
- Forward Bloc
- Second World War
- Lord Linlithgow
- Resignation of Congress ministries