Bose in Nazi Germany , livre ebook

Random House Publishers India Pvt. Ltd. - Romain Hayes

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

113 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

By the late 1930s, Subhas Chandra Bose had become disillusioned with Gandhi's leadership of the Indian National Congress and the nationalist struggle. With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, he resolved that India could only achieve freedom through a violent uprising. Two years later, in 1941, Bose went on to make a daring escape, via Afghanistan and Russia, to Berlin in search of an anti-British alliance. The Nazis seized Bose's offer and the possibilities of an anti-British revolt in India, even envisaging German troops marching into the country as 'liberators'. Meanwhile, thousands of British Indian troops captured in North Africa enlisted in the Wehrmacht hoping to join the Nazi march into India as they swore oaths to Hitler and Bose 'in the fight for the freedom of India'. Yet for all their accord, the Bose-Nazi relationship remained complicated, full of ambivalences on both sides. This book for the first time, tells the story of Bose's war years in Germany and examines his relationship with the Nazis. This period remains a deeply controversial moment in Indian history and has thus far been suffused with hagiography. Using rare German and Indian war records, Romain Hayes has written a nuanced, thoughtful, and vital account of these years, shedding light on an aspect of Bose that has till now remained in shadow.

Sujets

Histoire

History

Informations

Publié par	Random House Publishers India Pvt. Ltd.
Date de parution	20 novembre 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9788184002355
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0600€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

RANDOM HOUSE INDIA
Published by Random House India in 2011
Copyright Romain Hayes 2011
Random House Publishers India Private Limited Windsor IT Park, 7th Floor, Tower B, A-1, Sector-125, Noida 201301, U.P., India
Random House Group Limited 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road London SW1V 2SA United Kingdom
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author s and publisher s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
EPUB ISBN 9788184002355
For sale in the Indian subcontinent only
For my parents without whom this would not have been possible.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Chronology
Glossary
Prologue
Introduction
1. Forging an Alliance: Indian Nationalism and National Socialism
2. Extending the Boundaries: Aspiring for Nazi Liberation
3. Tripling the Effect: Berlin, Rome, Tokyo
4. Offensive from Berlin: The Cripps Mission
5. Sustaining the Offensive: Politics, Intelligence and Propaganda
6. Transition to Tokyo: I-30 to U-180
7. Epilogue: Indo-Nazi Collaboration
Appendices
1. Plan for Co-operation between the Axis Powers and India, 9 April 1941
2. Mohammed Iqbal Shedai Letter to the German Embassy (Rome), 21 September 1941
3. Bose-Ribbentrop Conference Minutes, 29 November 1941
4. Tripartite Declaration on India, 1942
5. British Intelligence Assessment on German Recruitment of Indian POWs, 22 June 1943
Notes
Bibliographical Essay
Index
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Years ago when first embarking on this book, I remember reading the opening lines of Hugh Toye s biography on Subhas Chandra Bose, The Springing Tiger , in which he refers to the many years he spent preparing it and in the process acquiring the reputation of being a troglodyte. Little did I know that this would one day apply to me as well. Nevertheless over the years several individuals and institutions proved to be of considerable assistance. I am grateful to the All India INA Committee in New Delhi which was not only encouraging but also made it possible for me to meet veterans of the Indian Legion. In this regard I am particularly grateful to Captain S. S. Yadava. Lieutenant K. V. Chandran and the Tamil Nadu INA Forum were equally helpful in Chennai. Again in Delhi, the staff at the Nehru Memorial Museum Library was most accommodating. In Calcutta, the staff at the Netaji Institute for Asian Studies was equally helpful. My thanks to the late Director of the Netaji Research Bureau, Sisir K. Bose and his successor Sugata Bose for granting me access to the extensive archives of the Netaji Research Bureau. The former also kindly described his involvement in arranging Bose s escape to Berlin. I am also grateful to the staff of the German Federal Archives and of the Webster Library at Concordia University in Montreal.
For contributing to my general understanding of Bose by sharing their wartime recollections-in some cases close involvement with him-I am especially grateful to the late Air Commodore Ramesh S. Benegal, Lieutenant-Colonel N. S. Bhagat, Captain D. Dasan, the late Colonel Gurbakhsh S. Dhillon, Natesan Govindaswamy, Govindarasu Muthukrishnan, Captain Puan Sri Datin Janaky Nahappan, Lieutenant R. Lakshmi Devi Naidu, Lieutenant Hari Ram, Lieutenant-Colonel Lakshmi Sahgal, Malkiat Singh, Natesan Swamiyappan, and John Patrick Thomson. My gratitude also extends to Rama Rao, M. Shinnasamy, and M. K. Valampuri Thevar for their eagerness to share their experiences.
For providing valuable sources on the Indian Legion-in many cases documents as well as surviving witnesses-I am grateful to Claude Jeay, the Director of the Archives D partementales in Bourges, Philippe Gitton of the Section Historique of the Archives Municipales in Bourges, M. Galand and Michel Lafitte of the Histoire et Archives section of the Marie of Libourne and Jean Arnoux of the Groupe d Histoire Locale in Luzy. Also of significant help were the Mayor of Ardentes, Didier Barachet, the Deputy Mayor of de Beaune, Alain Suguenot, the Mayor of Luzy, Jean-Louis Rollot, the Mayor of Ruffec, Bernard Charbonneau and the Mayor of Saint Laurent M doc, Henri Laurent. I am also grateful to Sarah Ducoudray at the Marie of Le Poin onnet, Martine Faury at the Marie of Angoul me and Christian Martin, a Municipal Councillor in Libourne. My thanks as well to the Mayors of Bourges, Ch teauroux, Jussey, Le Poin onnet, Sainte-H l ne and Soulac-sur-Mer. I am also particularly grateful for providing information and sharing their recollections of the Indian Legion to Francis Cordet, Henri Gendreau, Marcel Jarraud, Pierre Pirot, L. C. Renault, Nicole Richebon and Josette Tessier. Rudolf Hartog, a former German officer in the Legion, was very helpful in providing a different perspective in some regards. Anyone writing in the field of Boseian studies is inevitably indebted to T. R. Sareen, the former Director of the Indian Council of Historical Research, for his pioneering work and the valuable collection of documents he has assembled over the years. Professor Milan Hauner facilitated my research into his monumental work through an act of generosity. Jan Kuhlmann responded to a query in a most helpful manner. I am also very grateful to Maurice Gerard with whom I had a most enriching time conducting interviews and partially retracing the footsteps of the Indian Legion in France. Brian Schouten was also of help in this regard for the coastal region. Gilles Sigro proved to be very generous when we met in Versailles. My thanks as well to Martin Bamber, Romen Bose, Rudolf Hebig, St phane Pauli and Tomasz Sudol. A special thank you to Rahul Srivastava. The same applies to Michael Dwyer who believed in this book from the beginning. Last-but certainly not least-during my stay in Calcutta, Victor and Maya Banerjee proved to be wonderful hosts and true to the Indian proverb that a guest is treated like a god in India.
CHRONOLOGY
1941
17 February
Hitler orders the Operations Staff of the High Command to plan an invasion, via Afghanistan, of India.
2 April
Bose arrives in Berlin from Moscow.
7 April
The Chief of Staff of the High Command, General Halder, makes estimates on the num ber of divisions required to invade India.
9 April
Bose completes his Plan for Co-operation between the Axis Powers and India .
12 April
Bose submits his plan to the Foreign Office and warns of the possibility of his leaving if an agreement is not reached.
29 April
Ribbentrop receives Bose at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna.
2 May
Hitler confides to Goebbels that he is considering establishing an Indian provisional government in Berlin. Fighting breaks out in Iraq between British and Iraqi troops.
3 May
Bose prepares an extensive note for the Foreign Office requesting in part a German declaration on Indian independence.
10 May
Hitler approves Bose s request for a declaration on India.
16 May
The first Indian POWs begin to be transferred from North Africa, via Sicily, to Germany.
20 May
Bose prepares an elaborate Detailed Plan of Work for the Foreign Office and instructs his agent in Kabul, Talwar, to prepare for anti-British operations in India.
23 May
Hitler issues Directive No. 30 Middle East on German involvement in the region.
24 May
Woermann informs Bose that the declaration is postponed.
25 May
Ribbentrop approves one million Reichsmarks for subversive operations in the Tribal Territory.
29 May
Bose and Emilie Schenkl arrive in Rome.
1 June
Bose meets Mohammed Iqbal Shedai, Ajit Singh and Labh Singh.
6 June
Ciano receives Bose to discuss the declaration on India.
8 June
British troops invade pro-Axis Syria.
11 June
Bose visits the German embassy in Rome.
22 June
Germany invades the Soviet Union causing condemnation from political parties in India.
24 June
Woermann writes to Bose urging him to return to Berlin.
5 July
Bose replies to Woermann protesting the invasion of the Soviet Union.
17 July
Woermann receives Bose who vigorously emphasises the urgency of a declaration on India.
19 July
Two Abwehr agents en route to meet the Fakir of Ipi are ambushed by an Afghan patrol.
11 August
The High Command, the Abwehr and the Special India Bureau convene an intelligence meeting on India and the Tribal Territory attended by Bose.
12 August
Shedai arrives in Berlin.
14 August
Roosevelt and Churchill issue a joint Anglo-American Declaration of Principles.
15 August
Bose writes a letter to Ribbentrop emphasising the urgency of a declaration on India.
18 August
Bose presents his letter to Woermann who in a memorandum recognises the urgency of a declaration.
22 August
A senior Abwehr officer reviews German commandos trained in preparation for Operation Tiger.
25 August
British and Soviet troops invade Iran.
6 September
Hitler decides to postpone the declaration on India to prevent an invasion of Afghanistan.
10 September
Ribbentrop instructs Woermann to inform Bose that Germany still remains committed to the declaration.
17-18 September
During a private conversation with his entourage Hitler compares his plans to colonise Russia with British rule in India.
27 September
Bose makes extensive enquiries of Talwar on developments in India.
3 October
Shedai meets German officials in Rome.
16 October
Ribbentrop makes enquiries of the High Command on Indian POWs.
2 November
Bose inaugurates the Free India Centre in Berlin.
4 November
The Abwehr plans to send agents to the North-West Frontier.
10 November
The Indian Central Legislative Assembly and the All India Radio station announce that Bose is in Berlin.
11 November
The British and American press launch a cam