Rise of the National Movement (1919 onwards)

By 1919, a big transformation came in India’s freedom struggle. Until now, we had seen the Moderates (1885–1905) and the Extremists (1905–1919). But with Mahatma Gandhi’s entry into politics, the movement shifted into its third and final phase.

For the first time, the national struggle became a true mass movement. It was no longer limited to lawyers, teachers, or political leaders. Now, peasants, tribals, students, women, and even factory workers participated in large numbers. This gave the movement a new energy and a new base.

But why did this happen after the First World War? Let’s carefully examine the background.

Why Was the Country Ready for a Mass Movement After the First World War?

The First World War (1914–1918) changed the world order and deeply affected India. Several factors came together to prepare the ground for the next stage of nationalism:

1. Impact of the First World War
2. Half-hearted constitutional reforms
3. The Russian Revolution

1. Impact of the First World War

The war acted like a catalyst—it gave a strong impetus to nationalism not only in India but across Asia and Africa. Let us see how:

• Post-war Economic Hardship
  The war drained India’s economy. After 1918, almost every section of society was suffering:
  • Urban educated Indians faced growing unemployment.
  • Peasants were crushed under poverty and heavy taxation.
  • Workers faced job losses, soaring prices, and miserable living conditions.
  • Industries, which had temporarily grown during the war (because imports from abroad had stopped), now faced losses and closures as foreign capital started flowing into India.

This situation made Indian industrialists realize something very important: unless India had a strong nationalist movement and eventually a government of its own, their industries would never be protected through high customs duties or government aid.

In short, every class of society had a reason to turn towards nationalism.

• Domestic Industrial Growth during the War
  During the war, the demand for items like jute bags, cloth, and rails increased. With imports declining, Indian industries expanded. This gave birth to a new industrial confidence. However, once the war ended, the earlier economic hardships returned.
• Erosion of the White Man’s Prestige
  European powers had always maintained their empire using the idea of racial superiority—that whites were “civilised” and others were “backward.”
  But during the war, these very European nations indulged in propaganda against one another, exposing each other’s brutal colonial practices. This broke the myth of the so-called “civilised white man” in the eyes of the colonised world.
• Betrayal by Allied Nations
  During the war, Britain and its allies—USA, France, Italy, Japan—promised that after victory, they would usher in a new era of democracy and national self-determination.
  But after winning, instead of freeing colonies, they divided the territories of defeated nations like Germany and Turkey among themselves.
  This betrayal created frustration and anger among the people of Asia and Africa, including Indians, who had high hopes for a just post-war world.

2. Half-Hearted Constitutional Reform

Indian nationalists had supported Britain’s war efforts, expecting political concessions later. But the reforms that came—Montagu-Chelmsford reforms (1919)—were deeply disappointing.

These reforms introduced dyarchy in provinces, but real power remained in British hands. Congress, therefore, demanded self-government. The gap between Indian expectations and British offerings widened sharply, preparing the ground for confrontation.

3. The Russian Revolution (1917)

Finally, one of the most inspiring events for Indian nationalists was the Russian Revolution.

• On 7 November 1917, the Bolshevik Party led by Lenin overthrew the Czarist monarchy and created the Soviet Union, the first socialist state in the world.
• Why was this significant? Because it showed that even a mighty despotic regime could be overthrown if the common people united.
• This gave Indian leaders confidence: real power lies with the masses, and if they are mobilised, even the strongest empire can fall.

Putting It All Together

So by the end of the First World War, three powerful forces were at work in India:

• Economic hardship had angered every section of society.
• British betrayal and half-hearted reforms had destroyed Indian faith in gradual change.
• The Russian Revolution had lit the imagination of what was possible if the masses came together.

In this situation, Gandhi’s arrival with his new methods of struggle—Satyagraha, non-violence, and mass mobilisation—found ready acceptance. The stage was perfectly set for the launch of the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements.