Life Magazine cover depicting India-Pakistan War Essay

The dispute over this region originated in the branch of decolonization in South Asia. When the British colony of India gained its independence in 1947, it was partitioned into two separate entities the secular rural area of India and the predominantly Moslem realm of Pakistan. Pakistan was composed of two noncontiguous regions, East Pakistan and West Pakistan, separated by Indian territory. The state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had a predominantly Muslim population but a Hindu leader, shared peals with both India and West Pakistan.The argument over which nation would incorporate the state led to the first India-Pakistan contend in 1947-48 and cease with UN mediation. Jammu and Kashmir, similarly known as Indian Kashmir or just Kashmir, get together the Republic of India, but the Pakistani Government continued to believe that the absolute majority Muslim state rightfully belonged to Pakistan. Conflict resumed again in wee 1965, when Pakistani and Indian forces clashed over disputed territory along the border between the two nations. Hostilities intensified that August when the Pakistani army move to take Kashmir by force.The attempt to seize the state was unsuccessful, and the second India-Pakistan warfare reached a stalemate. This time, the international politics of the Cold War affected the record of the conflict. The united States had a history of ambivalent relations with India. During the 1950s, U. S. officials regarded Indian leaders with some caution due to Indias involvement in the neutral movement, particularly its prominent role at the Bandung Conference of 1955. The United States hoped to fight a regional balance of power, which meant not allowing India to influence the political reading of other states.However, a 1962 border conflict between India and China finish with a decisive Chinese victory, which motivated the United States and the United nation to provide forces supplies to the Indian army. After the clash with China, Indi a also sour to the Soviet Union for assistance, which placed some strains on U. S. -Indian relations. However, the United States also provided India with considerable development assistance throughout the 1960s and 1970s. U. S. -Pakistani relations had been more than consistently positive.The U. S.Government looked to Pakistan as an example of a moderate Muslim state and appreciated Pakistani assistance in holding the draw in against communist expansion by joining the Southeast Asia Treaty government (SEATO) in 1954 and the Baghdad Pact (later renamed the Central Treaty Organization, or CENTO) in 1955. Pakistans interest in these pacts stemmed from its desire to develop its military and defensive capabilities, which were substantially weaker than those of India. Both the United States and the United Kingdom supplied armor to Pakistan in these years.After Pakistani troops invaded Kashmir, India moved quickly to control the regional dispute. It asked the United Nations to repris e its role in the First India-Pakistan War and end the current conflict. The Security Council passed Resolution 211 on September 20 calling for an end to the fighting and negotiations on the settlement of the Kashmir problem, and the United States and the United Kingdom supported the UN decision by cutting off armor supplies to both belligerents. This ban affected both belligerents, but Pakistan felt the cause more keenly since it had a much weaker military in lodging to India.The UN resolution and the halting of arms sales had an immediate impact. India accepted the ceasefire on September 21 and Pakistan on September 22. The ceasefire alone did not disrupt the status of Kashmir, and both sides accepted the Soviet Union as a third-party mediator. Negotiations in Tashkent concluded in January 1966, with both sides giving up territorial claims, withdrawing their armies from the disputed territory. Nevertheless, although the Tashkent agreement achieved its short-term aims, conflict in South Asia would reignite a few years later.