WW1 n WW2 and the formation of Pakistan?

[muqawwee123]

Re: WW1 n WW2 and the formation of Pakistan?

@mAd_ScIeNtIsT

The fall of the Ottoman Empire was mostly irrelevant. The Khalifaat Movement of 1924’s protests against it, while temporarily uniting Indian of varying faiths against the British, mostly fell apart after Ataturk dissolved the Khalifat.

WW1 was the first blow to the British Empire in the formation of Pakistan. It significantly weakened the British economically, but not to the extent of making them lose control.

WW2 was key. Without WW2, Britain would have been in an economic and military position to try and defeat an Indian bid for independence as in 1857. However, after WW2, Britain lacked both the money and the military will to keep on fighting. In the wake of rising discontent in India, disengaging became key before the country was sucked into another war.

This is where the second part of the WW2 effect played a role - the Muslim League’s support of the war effort. It is no coincidence that the Muslim League rose in power significantly during WW2. While Congress tried to oppose the British and had much of its leadership arrested, the Muslim League supported the war effort and thus was able to operate freely in India, growing in strength, and building better connections and bargaining positions with the British.

As a result, coming out of WW2 and needing to disengage from India, the British were faced with a strong Muslim League and a weaker Congress than before the war.

But did Muslim League really got what it needed?