Gandhis Fasten als politische Waffe

Abstract Fasts were one of the means Gandhi used in his policy of non-violent actions. This article tries to take a closer look at Gandhi's fasts. In which situations did he use fasts, how did he justify them? Who were the people against whom these fasts were directed? How did they react? And finally: Were his fasts successful? After a general introduction about the different types of fasts he used (16 in all), two are singled out and analysed in detail: the so-called "Epic Fast" of September 1932 and the one of February/March 1943. Both were most dramatic events for India - and for Britain and both are good examples for answering the above listed questions.