Amritsar massacre why did it happen

Troops under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer killed hundreds of unarmed demonstrators on 13 April In the immediate aftermath of the war, pressure for Indian independence mounted. Early in April news of the arrest of Indian nationalist leaders in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar sparked riots in which a mob went on the rampage, killing several Europeans, leaving an English female missionary for dead, and looting numerous banks and public buildings.

British and Indian troops under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer were sent to restore order and Dyer banned all public meetings which, he announced, would be dispersed by force if necessary.

Dyer marched a force of 90 Gurkha and Indian soldiers into the enclosure and, without warning, they opened fire for about 10 to 15 minutes on the panicking crowd trapped in the enclosure. According to an official figure, were killed and some 1, wounded, though other estimates suggest much higher casualties. Many died when they leapt into a deep well to escape the gunfire. There have been previous gestures of regret from Britain but never a formal apology. Skip to header Skip to main content Skip to footer.

Home People. In Brief. Quiz of The Week: 6 - 12 November. Quizzes and puzzles. Penguin arrives in New Zealand after epic journey. Swigert, and Fred W. Haise had left Earth two days before for the Fra Mauro highlands of the moon Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. On April 13, , Adolf Hitler proclaims from his underground bunker that deliverance was at hand from encroaching Russian troops—Berlin would remain German.

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The Soviet government officially accepts blame for the Katyn Massacre of World War II, when nearly 5, Polish military officers were murdered and buried in mass graves in the Katyn Forest.