Historical figure · Pearson Edexcel International GCSE revision on Incandio

Subhas Chandra Bose

Elected Twice, Pushed Out Twice · Congress President & INA Commander · 1897–1945

The Congress president forced out by Gandhi's veto, who escaped India in 1941 and commanded the Indian National Army alongside Japanese forces in Burma.

Defend these ideas against Bose

Incandio is a free revision platform for the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE, and on it a topic counts as mastered only once you have learned it, proved it in questions, taught it back and defended it against the person with the strongest claim on it. Subhas Chandra Bose is that person for one topic on the course:

• The importance of Chandra Bose — History · Colonial rule and the nationalist challenge in India, 1919–47

Who was Bose?

Born in Cuttack in 1897, Bose passed the Indian Civil Service examination and resigned before taking up the post. He was elected Congress president in 1938 and again in 1939 against Gandhi's candidate, and was forced out when the working committee resigned. He escaped from house arrest in Calcutta in January 1941, reached Germany, and travelled by submarine to Japanese-held Asia, where he took command of the Indian National Army in 1943. The INA fought at Imphal and Kohima in 1944 and was destroyed. He died in a plane crash at Taipei in August 1945. The trials of INA officers at the Red Fort from November 1945 produced the largest political mobilisation India had seen, and the Royal Indian Navy mutinied in February 1946.

Major achievements

• Elected Congress president twice, the second time against Gandhi's candidate
• Escaped British surveillance in January 1941 and reached Asia by submarine
• Commanded the Indian National Army, including its Rani of Jhansi women's regiment
• Made the loyalty of the Indian Army a political question the British could not ignore

Life in brief

• 1897 — Born in Cuttack: Passes the ICS examination and resigns before taking the post.
• 1939 — Re-elected and forced out: Wins against Gandhi's candidate; the working committee resigns.
• 1941 — The escape: Leaves house arrest in Calcutta in January and reaches Germany.
• 1943 — Takes command of the INA: In Japanese-held South East Asia.
• 1944 — Imphal and Kohima: The INA's campaign fails between March and July.
• 1945 — Dies at Taipei: In a plane crash on 18 August.

Explore the life of Bose — five chapters

1. The Examination He Passed — Fourth in the Indian Civil Service, and a resignation
2. Elected, and Forced Out — Congress president twice, and Gandhi's candidate beaten
3. The Escape — Calcutta to Berlin, by way of Kabul
4. The Indian National Army — Forty thousand men, and a women's regiment
5. The Red Fort Trials — The army that lost, and the effect it had after it was over

Read the five-chapter life of Subhas Chandra Bose →

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