Prime Minister Modi visits the French war cemetery: What role did Indian soldiers play in the world war? |Described news

Over 4 million Indian troops fought in the British during the two world wars. Their contributions were crucial, despite the rare recollection of them in Europe or India. This is what they say.

The aucimetière militaire de mazargues, leprésident@emmanuelmacron et moi avons rendu hommage aux soldats qui-ont combat lors des guerresmondiales. Parmi eux、Plusieurs soldats indiens qui se sont battus vaillamment et ont fait preuve d’unedéterionsans faille。

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– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2025

World War I: Battles in Distant Lands

World War I pitted against central powers (including Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire) against allied powers (including Britain, France and Russia). Most of the battle took place in Europe and Western Asia, with European powers fighting each other, and their colonies involved, supplying men, material and money.

Over four million colonial forces fought in the war, mainly for France and Britain. This includes around 1.3 million Indian soldiers, of which more than 74,000 have lost their lives and a comparable number have been seriously injured.

In many cases, they were not equipped against enemies that they didn’t necessarily understand, and Indian soldiers were borne the brunt of an early German attack along the Western Front in 1914. My strength is in ruins.

Indian soldiers defended Belgian Ypres from the Germans moving forward, causing major casualties in the process. At the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle, the Indians suffered more than 4,000 casualties for strategic profits.

However, by 1915, Britain had removed most of the Indian troops from Europe. Historian Richard Fogerty wrote in French Race and War (2008). This is because “the British authorities were concerned about the effect of catching non-white people against white Europeans in the battle. Indians with such experiences may have more difficult control after the war.”

This meant that around a million Indian troops eventually ended in theatres of Western Asia and fought the Ottoman Empire. In Gallipoli, more than 1,000 Indian lives were lost in Winston Churchill’s doomed campaign to rule the Turkish Straits. Notable during the campaign was the role of Indian mule drivers who maintained an unharmed supply line despite major losses.

World War II: A Truly Global Battle

World War I was supposed to be a “war that would end all wars,” but a major conflict broke out decades later. This time, allies (including the UK, the US and the US) have confronted the forces of the axis (including Germany, Japan and Italy).

Unlike World War I, World War II was truly global. It fights even more geographically, from the Pacific Islands to the Eastern and most of Southeast Asia to North Africa and much of Europe. This meant that more military and resources were needed compared to previous wars, and once again Europe sought help from its colony.

The war broke out when enthusiastic national movements across Asia and Africa were in rage. As during World War I, Britain promised autonomy to end the war in return for India’s support. Around 3 million Indian troops served during the war, and around 87,000 people died in battle.

However, unlike World War I, the majority of Indian soldiers in combat roles were deployed to Asia, defending Japan’s advance towards the Indian subcontinent. The Japanese conquered Burma by 1943, reaching Kohima and Impal, driven in 1944 by British Indian troops, composed primarily of Gurkha forces from India and Nepal.

There are many stories of immense courage exhibited by Indian soldiers during campaigns in the Northeast and Burma. For example, Gurkha Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung received a Victoria Cross for himself repelling the attacks of more than 200 Japanese infantry in Burma despite suffering multiple life-threatening injuries and losing his arm.

British Indian soldiers also played an important role in Europe at the forefront, but more often served as support and logistics. Mechanized transport remains very reliable during World War II, and the war-driven lack of materials meant that mules became a cost-effective means for heavy loads. did. Indian soldiers were excellent at handling animals and formed the backbone of logistics operations in Europe.

Forgotten hero

Despite their pivotal contributions, Indian soldiers are less important than they are part of the public memory of the two world wars. There are multiple reasons for this.

The first is racism that was prevalent at the time of the war, and continues to shape how history has been written ever since. Simply put, most stories of the World War are very eurocentric, and even when colonial contributions are remembered, white soldiers are black troops and brown, like the Anzacs of Australia and New Zealand in Gallipoli. It is attracting much more attention than the troops.

Secondly, as Guy Bowman, author of Indian Conditions: Forgotten Muslim Soldiers of the Battle of Dunkirk, the BBC said: They were involved in the supply business rather than the frontline combat. ”

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the Indian army fighting in the World War has not received much attention at home. This is because they do not easily fit into the narrative of nationalism, which is central to the way India remembers the colonial past.

As Shashi Tharoor wrote in a BBC article about India’s participation in World War I, “It is a job risk to lose your life or limbs in a foreign war that you fought at the request of the colonial rulers. That was the national service.”

This is an updated version of the article first published in 2022.