Mahatma Gandhi, in the days leading up to World War II, made multiple fervent pleas for peace, including a notable letter to Adolf Hitler on August 23, 1939, just before Germany’s invasion of Poland. Writing from his Wardha ashram, Gandhi addressed Hitler as “the one person in the world who can prevent a war.” Acknowledging that many urged him to do so for the “sake of humanity,” Gandhi admitted that writing to Hitler felt like “an impertinence.” He implored Hitler to avoid war, questioning its value if it would only drag humanity back to a “savage state.” Gandhi signed the letter modestly, as “Your sincere friend, M. K. Gandhi.”
Despite his appeal, Hitler launched the invasion of Poland on September 1, triggering World War II. Throughout the war, Gandhi continued his peaceful advocacy. In a letter to Britain on July 3, 1940, he advised them to relinquish their arms but never surrender “your souls nor your minds” to the Nazis.
Gandhi also reached out to Japan on July 7, 1942, criticizing their aggression toward China and clarifying that India’s independence movement was not aligned with such actions. Similarly, he wrote to the U.S. and China’s Chiang Kai-Shek, consistently promoting his message of peace and self-determination.
