Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 -13 Days
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was the third war between India and Pakistan. This war had very different origins from the other wars between the two countries. This war stemmed from a refugee crisis that put millions of refugees in West Bengal, India. The Pakistani government was using violence to curb the independence movement in East Pakistan in March 1971 and that led to refugees fleeing the country.
The Indian government realized that Pakistan had no plans to allow the independent country of Bangladesh to form and give the 10 million refugees now living in India a place to go. This led to the Indian government coming to the conclusion that they needed to support the efforts of East Pakistan to become independent Bangladesh. In August 1971, India signed a Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation for the next 20 years with the Soviet Union. The treaty called for each nation to support the other if there was a threat to national security. At the same time, India began providing support to the East Pakistan resistance fighters, providing training and sanctuary.
Pakistan tried to stop India’s support of East Pakistan diplomatically but failed. Therefore, on December 3, 1971, Pakistan launched an air attack on a number of Indian airfields. The attack did not cause substantial damage, but it gave the Indian air force the excuse to retaliate the next day. The Indians quickly achieved air superiority and moved their ground forces in swiftly. Nine infantry divisions had attached armored units and close air support.
The Indian forces rapidly made their way to the East Pakistan capital, Dhaka. The Indian Navy blockaded East Pakistan, the air force destroyed the Dhaka air strip, and the ground forces quickly defeated the Pakistan army. Pakistan officially surrendered on December 16, 1971. As a result of the war, East Pakistan gained their independence and the nation of Bangladesh was formed.