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Question

Difficulty: EasyConstitutional Developments, Transfer of Power, and Partition of India

Which British Prime Minister made the historic declaration on February 20, 1947, announcing that the British government would grant full self-governance to British India and transfer power by June 1948 at the latest?

  1. Clement AttleeAnswer
  2. B
    Winston Churchill
  3. C
    Ramsay MacDonald
  4. D
    Neville Chamberlain

Answer

Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee, the Labour Party Prime Minister of Great Britain, announced in the House of Commons on February 20, 1947, that the British intention was to effect the transfer of power to Indian hands by June 1948 at the latest. This announcement led directly to the appointment of Lord Mountbatten as the final Viceroy to oversee the constitutional transition.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical context and date of the declaration
On February 20, 1947, the British government announced a fixed deadline for ending British rule in India.
The announcement set June 30, 1948, as the absolute deadline to hand over power to responsible Indian leadership.
2
Associate the declaration with the sitting British Prime Minister
Clement Attlee, head of the Labour Party government elected in 1945, made this statement in the House of Commons.
Attlee's government appointed Lord Mountbatten to succeed Lord Wavell as Viceroy to fulfill this directive.

Key Concept

Attlee's Declaration of February 20, 1947
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Topics

Constitutional Developments, Transfer of Power, and Partition of India