India China War 1962

The 1962 India-China War, also known as the Sino-Indian War, was primarily fought over territorial disputes along the border between the two countries. The main areas of conflict were in the Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh (then known as the North-East Frontier Agency) regions. Aksai Chin was strategically important to China as it connected Tibet with Xinjiang, while India claimed it as part of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The dispute over Arunachal Pradesh centred on China's claim over the territory, which India regarded as an integral part of its land.

Several factors led to the escalation of tensions into a full-scale war. The first was the border disagreements due to the lack of a clear, demarcated boundary, and the historical legacy of British colonial maps and agreements contributed to differing perceptions of the border. The second was India's adoption of a "Forward Policy" in 1961, which involved setting up military outposts and patrols in disputed border areas, which exacerbated tensions. China viewed this as an aggressive encroachment on its claimed territory. The third was failed diplomacy, when efforts to diplomatically resolve the border disputes were unsuccessful, with both sides holding firm to their territorial claims. The situation was further complicated by geopolitical shifts and alignments during the Cold War era. Lastly, the areas in dispute held strategic significance for both nations, not just in terms of territorial sovereignty but also for military and security reasons, especially considering the broader Cold War context and each country's desire to assert itself as a dominant power in Asia.