The South Asia Crisis and the Founding of Bangladesh, 1971

In 1971, an internal crisis in Pakistan resulted in a third war between India and Pakistan and the
secession of East Pakistan, creating the independent state of Bangladesh. These events altered the
relationship between the nited !tates and
Last President of a united Pakistan Yahya Khan ith President !i"hard #i$on% &!i"hard #i$on
Li'rary(
The partition of India in 19"7 created #est and East Pakistan, two noncontiguous territories that shared
a do$inant religion of Isla$ but were ver% different in ter$s of language, ethnicit% and culture. In the
197& parlia$entar% elections, an overwhel$ing nu$ber of East Pakistanis voted for a political part%
that advocated autono$% for the East, but it was blocked fro$ governing b% the ar$% and the e'isting
Pakistani govern$ent, and its leader was (ailed. The resulting $ass protests in the East were brutall%
suppressed b% the Pakistani ar$%, which caused a $assive refugee $ove$ent into neighboring India.
East Pakistani guerrilla forces, supported b% India, fought with the Pakistani )r$% in the late autu$n of
1971. #est Pakistan responded with air attacks on India, resulting in open war between the two powers
beginning on *ece$ber +.
The nited !tates faced several dile$$as in how to respond to the crisis. The regional situation was
alread% co$ple'. India signed a treat% of $utual assistance with the !oviet nion in )ugust, 1971, and
the People,s -epublic of .hina was friendl% to Pakistan and had fought a war with India in 19/0.
1owever, Pakistan was a valuable diplo$atic partner, and its govern$ent helped the nited !tates
achieve a rapproche$ent with the People,s -epublic of .hina in the earl% 197&s. )fter President
-ichard 2i'on,s visit in 19/9, the .!. 3overn$ent had resu$ed selling Pakistan $ilitar% e4uip$ent, a
process that had been disrupted b% the previous 19/5 India6Pakistan #ar. #ashington wished to avoid
a second war between Pakistan and India, but also feared that Pakistan would be greatl% weakened if its
eastern province seceded, and so supported Pakistan initiall%. 1owever, the action against the $ass
protests in East Pakistan was well6publici7ed and widel% conde$ned, which li$ited the e'tent to which
the .!. 3overn$ent was willing to help the Pakistani 3overn$ent prevent the division of its countr%.
In the end, the nited !tates acted in a so$ewhat a$biguous $anner during the brief 1971 war. The
.!.!. Enterprise carrier group fro$ 8ietna$ $oved toward the Ba% of Bengal, stopping in !ingapore
and eventuall% reaching !ri9anka. This action signaled to the !oviet nion and .hina that it was
possible that the nited !tates would assist Pakistan. 1owever, b% not ordering direct intervention, the
nited !tates also conve%ed to both India and Pakistan the $essage that the .!. co$$it$ent to
intervention in !outh )sia had li$its. This a$biguit% would produce negative results for .!. influence
in the region.
India,s relationship with the !oviet nion ensured that the nited 2ations would not intervene, and
helped deter .hina fro$ opening a second conflict on India,s northern border. *efeated on both fronts,
Pakistan was forced to accede to the establish$ent of an independent Bangladesh in place of East
Pakistan. Bangladesh was ad$itted to the nited 2ations in 197".
These develop$ents resulted in a decline in .!. influence in !outh )sia and India,s e$ergence as the
$ost significant power on the subcontinent. .!. prestige was da$aged in both nations, in Pakistan for
failing to help prevent the loss of East Pakistan and in India for supporting the brutalit% of the Pakistani
regi$e,s actions in what beca$e Bangladesh. In contrast, the !oviet relationship with India beca$e
stronger, a fact that took on greater significance with India,s rise to pro$inence in the region. In the
long run, the 1971 war increased co$petition between India and Pakistan, forcing the nited !tates to
$aintain its focus on regional develop$ents.