Timeline of the Indian National Movement from 1857 to 1947, covering key events and
movements:
1857-1947: Key Events and Movements
● 1857: Revolt of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny or India's First War of
Independence.
● 1885: Foundation of the Indian National Congress (INC).
● 1905: Swadeshi Movement (boycott of foreign goods) in response to the Partition of
Bengal.
● 1906: Formation of the Muslim League.
● 1914: Gadar Party Movement.
● 1916-1918: Home Rule Movement led by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
● 1917: Champaran Satyagraha (peasant movement in Bihar).
● 1917: Kheda Satyagraha (peasant movement in Gujarat).
● 1918: Ahmedabad Mill Strike.
● 1919: Rowlatt Satyagraha (protest against the Rowlatt Act).
● 1919: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar.
● 1920: Khilafat Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
● 1922: Chauri Chaura Incident, leading to the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation
Movement.
● 1928: Simon Commission arrives in India.
● 1929: Lahore Session of INC, where Purna Swaraj (complete independence) was
declared as the goal.
● 1930: Civil Disobedience Movement, including the Dandi March (salt march).
● 1930: First Round Table Conference.
● 1931-1932: Second and Third Round Table Conferences.
● 1932: Poona Pact (agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar).
● 1935: Government of India Act.
● 1939: All India Forward Bloc formed by Subhas Chandra Bose.
● 1940: August Offer by the British government.
● 1942: Quit India Movement launched by Gandhi.
● 1942: Cripps Mission.
● 1945: Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference.
● 1946: Cabinet Mission Plan.
● 1947: India gains independence; partition leads to the creation of India and Pakistan.
World War I, also known as the Great War, spanned from July 28, 1914, to November 11,
1918, with key events including the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Battle of
Verdun, and the Treaty of Versailles.
Here's a more detailed timeline:
1914:
● June 28: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary is assassinated in Sarajevo,
sparking a chain of events leading to war.
● July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, officially marking the start of World
War I.
● August 1: Germany declares war on Russia.
● August 3: Germany declares war on France.
● August 4: Germany invades Belgium, leading to Britain declaring war on Germany.
● December 25: The Christmas Truce occurs on the Western Front, where soldiers from
opposing sides fraternize and cease fire.
1915:
● April 22: The Second Battle of Ypres begins, resulting in the first use of poison gas by
the Germans.
● May 7: The Lusitania, a British passenger liner, is sunk by a German U-boat, leading to
increased US involvement in the war.
● May 23: Italy joins the Allied Powers, declaring war on Austria-Hungary.
1916:
● February 21: The Battle of Verdun begins, a long and bloody battle on the Western
Front.
● July 1: The Battle of the Somme begins, resulting in massive casualties on both sides.
● September 15: The Battle of Jutland, a major naval battle in the North Sea, takes
place.
1917:
● April 6:
The United States declares war on Germany, officially entering the war on the side of the
Allies.
● November 7:
The Russian Revolution leads to the Bolsheviks seizing power and Russia withdrawing from
the war.
1918:
● Spring: Germany launches a series of offensives on the Western Front, but they are
ultimately unsuccessful.
● November 11: An armistice is signed, ending the fighting on the Western Front.
1919:
● June 28: The Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending World War I and
establishing the terms of peace.
World War II, a global conflict (1939-1945), began with Germany's invasion of Poland in
September 1939 and concluded with Japan's surrender in September 1945, following the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Here's a timeline of key events:
1930s: Seeds of Conflict
● 1931:
Japan invades and occupies Manchuria, a region in China, marking an early expansionist
move.
● 1935-1939:
Italy invades Ethiopia, and Germany begins rearming, violating the Treaty of Versailles.
● 1938:
Germany annexes Austria (Anschluss) and part of Czechoslovakia (Sudetenland).
● August 23, 1939:
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, secretly dividing Eastern
Europe into spheres of influence.
1939: The Spark
● September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe.
● September 3, 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany, following the
invasion of Poland.
1940: The Blitz and the Fall of France
● April-June 1940: Germany invades and occupies Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and
France.
● July-October 1940: The Battle of Britain, a crucial aerial conflict, sees the Royal Air
Force (RAF) successfully defend Britain against German Luftwaffe attacks.
● October 1940: Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
1941: Expansion and the Turning Point
● June 22, 1941: Germany launches Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union.
● December 7, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, a US naval base in Hawaii, drawing the
United States into the war.
1942-1943: The War Intensifies
● 1942: The Allies launch the Battle of the Atlantic, a crucial naval campaign to control
the Atlantic shipping lanes.
● 1942-1943: The Allies launch a series of offensives in North Africa, culminating in the
surrender of Axis forces in May 1943.
● 1943: The Allies invade Italy, leading to the overthrow of Mussolini.
1944: The D-Day Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge
● June 6, 1944:
The Allies launch the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, opening a second front in
Western Europe.
● December 1944:
The Battle of the Bulge, Germany's last major offensive on the Western Front, takes place in
the Ardennes forest.
1945: The End of the War
● May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies.
● August 6 and 9, 1945: The United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, Japan, respectively, leading to Japan's surrender.
● September 2, 1945: Japan surrenders, officially ending World War II.
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