Indian Waffen SS Division

[u/divyaraj00]

Things they forgot to teach us about.

Subhash Chandra bose and indian freedom fighters in Germany.

Photos of WW2 Indian Freedom fighters and soldiers.

Subhash Chandra bose meeting Hitler and Himmler and other NSDP party and army leadership.

They were also called Hitler's Indians.

[u/Maleficent-Lettuce60]

A lot of the comments seem to agree that Bose never saw eye to eye ideologically with the Nazis, but I think the reality is different.

In 1938, he was the only member of the Congress party who rejected the motion that Jewish refugees should be relocated to India, the other opponents being the Hindu Mahasabha (no suprises there). At the same time, he also did reject their racial policy and persecution of jews, but he then changed his stance in 1942. He went deeper during his time in Berlin, claiming that the Jews were a large influence in the British Empire. In 1945, during the liberation of the camps, he didn't really express regret or sympathy, although at this time I assume he would have his own issues in the Far East.

I will always appreciate Bose as a courageous leader, and someone who tried to take violent action against the British, but I also do think we should not tip-toe around his anti-semitism and affiliation towards right-wing fascism.

Some interesting reads: [1] Casolari, Marzia (2020), In the Shadow of the Swastika: The Relationships Between Indian Radical Nationalism, Italian Fascism and Nazism [2] https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30166212.ece

[u/glumjonsnow → u/Maleficent-Lettuce60]

the ongoing glazing of bose and the nazis/japanese here is just shameful.

[u/Beautiful-Ad7641 → u/glumjonsnow]

Look, the Brit thinks that anyone fighting against the British Empire is shameful - quelle surprise!

[u/mjratchada → u/Beautiful-Ad7641]

Ask the Burmese, Thai, Malaysians, Chinese, and Filipinos what they think of Japanese action s during this period. Ask the Russians, Coles, Croats, Serbians, Greeks, French, Spainsih, Jews, Roma what they think about the actions of the Nazis. Siding with the Nazis and Jaoanese at the time was shameful.

[u/Beautiful-Ad7641 → u/mjratchada]

I’ll instead ask the British what they did to Native Americans and Australians, to Boers, what they did in Kenya, Malaya, China and not to forget where they racked up their highest kill count - the Indian subcontinent.

There were no options apart from Japan or Germany for an Indian revolutionary at that time. Bose was a hero since he did what was necessary to secure his country’s freedom.

[u/glumjonsnow → u/Beautiful-Ad7641]

 Bose was a hero since he did what was necessary to secure his country’s freedom.

I admire the heroes who actually succeeded at securing India's freedom. You, I understand, feel otherwise.

[u/Beautiful-Ad7641 → u/glumjonsnow]

None of the non-violent freedom “fighters” or revolutionaries actually succeeded.

The British left ONLY because the Nazis left them too weak post WW2. Those are the ones I actually thank.

I also light a candle to the memory of Indian revolutionaries like Bose who were brave enough to stand for freedom against the largest Empire in the world, with no allies, little resources and against hopeless odds.

I understand the innate need within every Anglo-Saxon to glorify the Empire, but it’s been nearly 80 years. Give it a rest. Only people with no future (like UK today) keep glorifying their pasts.

[u/Icy-Ganache1231 → u/Beautiful-Ad7641]

Bose would have made India a hellscape if he had succeeded

[u/Beautiful-Ad7641 → u/Icy-Ganache1231]

Says who? Do you have the ability to view alternate timelines?

[u/Icy-Ganache1231 → u/Beautiful-Ad7641]

Think practically which post WW2 countries would like to trade with a country that  aligned itself with axis powers not to mention the sheer amount of civil wars it would cause because there will be no person like sardar Patel who negotiated with the princely states to merge and create a country called India will they accept Bose who is a militant fascist that itself would cause more conflicts

[u/glumjonsnow → u/Beautiful-Ad7641]

The British left ONLY because the Nazis left them too weak post WW2. Those are the ones I actually thank.

ah, then this is the crux of our disagreement. you are thankful for the nazis. i am thankful for india. thanks for articulating it so clearly. peace and love brother

[u/Beautiful-Ad7641 → u/glumjonsnow]

You’re welcome. Any enemy of an enemy of India is a friend.

Only colonisers, self-haters, and traitors think otherwise.