World War I
- Parties Involved in the War: The First World War was fought between the Allied powers (Britain allied with France, Russia, USA, Italy, and Japan) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey).
- Nationalist Response
- Moderates: Supported as a matter of duty.
- Extremists: Including Tilak (who was released in June 1914), supported the war efforts in the mistaken belief that Britain would repay India’s loyalty with gratitude in the form of self-government.
- Revolutionaries: Decided to utilise the opportunity to wage a war on British rule and liberate the country.
- Effect on India
- Inflation – The country’s economic position in the post-war years declined with a rise in commodity prices, a drop in Indian industry production, an increase in the weight of taxes and rents, etc.
- Economic Difficulties – Almost every segment of society faced economic difficulty as a result of the war, which fueled anti-British sentiments.
- Uncivilised Control – The Rowlatt Act, martial law in Punjab, and the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre all revealed the violent and uncivilised face of foreign control.