Sino - Indian war
Sino - Indian war, one of the shortest wars in history that had a devastating human cost, was a 32-day border war that took place in 1962. China and India are relatively new countries as China Quoc emerged from a civil war that led to the victory of the communists; while India had just gained independence from Britain. Tension and confrontation between the two countries regarding the border in the Himalayas. India claims the Aksai Chin area administered by China while China claims sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh in India. When China invaded Tibet and annexed it as part of China, India provided safe haven for exiled Tibetan leaders such as the Dalai Lama. This infuriated the Chinese authorities as tensions continued to flare.
Opening the Sino - Indian war is the border skirmishes and clashes that always exist between the two states. Border clashes became more frequent and India sought to enter the Aksai Chin area. Thus, on October 20, 1962, the Chinese army launched an offensive with the goal of dislodging the Indian army from Aksai Chin. The war was mainly in the mountains and this was difficult because it was at 14,000 feet. The war finally ended when the United States threatened to intervene and assist India. A ceasefire was called and both forces withdrew to their original positions at the border on 21 November 1962. Thus, 1,383 Indian and 722 Chinese servicemen were killed. It was a clear victory for China and it showed their military might. Although air and naval power are not used, the numerical strength of China's ground troops is a great advantage to defeat India.
- Date: 20 October - 21 November 1962 (32 days)
- Location: Aksai Chin, North-East Frontier Agency and Assam
- Result: Chinese victory
