
Aug 4, 2026
✦Indian Express
Britain entered WWI on this day: How its broken promises fueled India's freedom struggle
Great Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914, drawing India into World War I. Over a million Indians fought for Britain, but broken promises fueled the freedom struggle. Madan Mohan Malaviya said the war had "put the clock... fifty years forward." Many Indians expected independence after the conflict.