NORTH SOUTH

UNIVERSITY

11
EMERGENCE OF BANGLADESH

Dr. Md Sarwar Hossain

2
 ROLE OF SUPERPOWERS IN
BANGLADESH LIBERATION WAR
INTRODUCTION
 INTRODUCTION
֍ It may be difficult for the generations born after the 1990s to understand and
appreciate the international back drop in which Bangladesh was born.
֍ The bi-polar world in which the balance of terror was created by nuclear parity
of the super power was an old phenomenon.
֍ NATO – USA,UK, France, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Poland
֍ WARSHAW - Albania (until 1968), Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East
Germany (until 1990), Hungary, Poland, Romania & The Soviet Union
 INTRODUCTION

֍ It is not easy to understand how things were during those days.

֍ Nevertheless, hindsight may contribute to clearer understanding of the
dramatic emergence of Bangladesh in the context of relentless
competition and rivalry launched by the super powers.
֍ As Bangladeshi standing in 2020, one must be proud visualizing how
much efforts have gone in not only in terms of blood and lives but also
in terms of international diplomacy and fight for influence by global
powers.
 AIM
The aim of this session is to study the role of super powers in our liberation
war with a view to acquiring the bigger picture that laid behind our
independence.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

After WW II, both US and the USSR kept

on blaming each other for their individual
expansion design and domination.
The result was a long period of
international tension causing localized
conflicts without triggering major war
between them.
China was disillusioned with the Russian
attitude during its intervention in the
Korean War and its unwillingness to
support China in her bid to extend its
domain over Taiwan.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

֍ It also took exception to Russian sale of helicopters and transport air craft to India,
which it was using to support its military posture astride the northern border with Tibet.

֍ China openly blamed Russia for causing the missile crisis in Cuba.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

breakup between the two communist giants, President Brezhnev propounded regional security architecture to isolate China.

een to maintain its association with China rejected to join.

 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

ia joined Russia without making a formal commitment.

se developments led to greater Russian distrust of Pakistan and closer ties with India.
er USA and Soviet had pulled back from the verge of a nuclear disaster brought on by the Cuba, and with the emergence of China as a military
wer, the geo-political considerations of the two major powers had started undergoing a serious rethink.
perceptions of real-politic focused on softening up the adversarial edge of the US-Soviet engagement.
approchement was emerging between the two bitter rivals.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

ndia and Pakistan emerged on the regional map, the US tried to co-opt
a but failed.
Pakistan became US's natural ally, it extended massive supply of military
ware to Pakistan in 1954.
also drew Pakistan into :
EATO(set up in 1954 & included Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the
ilippines, Thailand, the UK & US)
ENTO (formed in 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey & UK & dissolved in 1979).
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

both India and USSR got seriously alarmed which brought them further closer.
lso to serve its own interests became friendly to Pakistan. Thus, an uneasy equilibrium had been
between India and China.
the Sino-Indian conflict USSR had maintained a rather neutral stance. Khrushchev called it a
between brother China and friend India.
ctical end of the cold war had changed this perception. Washington and Moscow became
concerned at the growing Chinese power in Asia.
A and Russia had begun to perceive India as a future counter to China.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

5 China was in the midst of leadership strife between Mao Tse Tung and Liu Shao Chi, President of the Chinese Republic, which had led to the Cultural Revolution.

Mao Tse Tung Liu Shao Chi

was, consequently, not inclined to become involved in an armed conflict between Pakistan and India.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

doubtedly it made loud noises in favor of Pakistan, and even issued an ultimatum to India, but did not physically intervene between
m.
USA had given small arms aid to India. Once 1965 hostilities started, US stopped arms supply to both India and Pakistan.
ce Pakistan was the major recipient of US arms, this suspension disheartened Pakistan the most.
istan then sought closer ties with China and obtained it readily.
er on, USA resumed its military aid to Pakistan, which was suspended in September 1965.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

y 1970 US attitude towards China had started to soften up and it was trying to engage it as a safeguard against the
oviet Union.
akistan assisted US in developing this vital relationship. The US business lobby was also looking to commercially
xploit the vast potential of China as a market.
enry Kissinger’s secret visit to China and Pakistan as intermediary facilitated this nexus.
 Bi-polar World & its Ramification

where the challenge of secessionism was met by existing states and international order with stern measures, any secessionist group would be faced with unsurmountable

case of Bangladesh the attempt to secede from a repressive state was crowned with success.
ean birth of Bangladesh marked the success of the first armed separatist struggle in the post-colonial Third World.
ting to note how the development of the polycentric world dominated by two superpowers helped hasten the birth of Bangladesh?
f Bangladesh underscores the fact that not only regional and inter-state rivalries but intra-state ethno-linguistic, economic and political conflict can also draw the superpowers
of war.
ROLE OF SUPERPOWERS
 The Role of Soviet Union

et Union was the first great power to condemn publicly the Pakistani military crackdown on Bengalis.
so the first major power to officially recognize the State of Bangladesh, which it did within 38 days of its independence.
onse of Soviet Union to the 1971 crisis in East Pakistan was conditioned by the general Soviet policy with regard to Asia in the 1960s.
policy of growing involvement, initially undertaken to contain US influence in Asia.
n directed at stopping the diplomatic and military as well as ideological advance of China which was emerging as the Soviet Union's
rival in the Third World.
 The Role of Soviet Union

Soviet Union's desire to present its credentials as an Asian power and ambition to counter potential US, Japanese or Chinese
ked schemes led to its launching of collective security system in Asia in 1969.
s campaign became the mainstay of the Soviet Union's diplomacy in Asia as events were setting in the South Asia for the conflict
ast Pakistan.
Soviet Union's close tie with India was a vital factor in shaping the Soviet response towards the East Pakistan crisis in 1971.
 The Role of Soviet Union
An amiable working relationship had prevailed between the two
countries since the visit of Minister of Defence Bulganin and
President Nikita Khrushchev to New Delhi in December 1955.

Minister of Defence President

Bulganin Nikita Khrushchev
 The Role of Soviet Union

iet ties were further strengthened in the wake of the 1962 Sino Indian war.

t in 1962 & the worsening Sino-Soviet relations eventually caused Moscow to attach more significance to its ties with India.
nant power in the South Asia, India could be shaped as an effective counterweight to China and thus could provide help to Moscow to contain Beijing.
 The Role of Soviet Union
֍Another important factor behind the Soviet Union's close
involvement in the 1971 crisis was for the Soviet self-image as “a
Great Power situated on the confluence Europe and Asia”.
 The Role of Soviet Union

y high priority was given by the Soviet policy makers to Bangladesh crisis was the consequence of their perception of the contemporary world & Asia and for desired Soviet role
orlds.
ted to ensure the position of India as the dominant power in South Asia.
might have been viewed by Soviet Union as a “fringe responsibility to their Indian interests”.
gladesh was considered as the first test case of their political and diplomatic abilities in an emerging “triangular world”.
all that happened revolving Bangladesh “was a power struggle between China and the Soviet Union and a strategic conflict between Moscow and Washington”.
 The Role of Super Powers

uth Asia during December 1971 the Soviet Union seemed to have gained most from this three-cornered fight.
gladesh freed from Pakistan, which was backed by both China and America, was for the Soviet Union in 1971 as proof of the realism and immediate
gh not necessarily permanent) success of its global and Asian policies.
irth of Bangladesh with India's support and Soviet sympathy did indeed mark the emergence of the Soviet Union as
military arsenal and political defender of India with guaranteed access of Soviet naval power to Indian Ocean and a base of political and
ary operations on China's southern flank”.
 The Role of Soviet Union

ve of the motives and gains of the Soviet Union in its involvement in the
h war of liberation, its solid and unflinching support to the Bengali cause
uable.
ose critical days of Bangladesh war, the Soviet veto in the UN Security
gainst US backed proposal for ceasefire paved the way for the Indo-
h allied forces to march into Dhaka and acquire the victory.
ion's positive role thus contributed immensely to the historic triumph of
h.
 The Role of the USA
֍ Of the two super powers dominating the World in
1970s the USA played a more complex and
somewhat negative role in the 1971 war.
֍ Nevertheless, it should be noted that the US society's
response was very positive despite whatever stand
the government held.
֍ In the pluralist and open society of the US,
influential and articulate segments stood solidly
behind the cause of Bangladesh.
֍ The 1971 crisis erupted at a time when the US,
under President Nixon, was busy reorganizing its
global & Asian policies to suit the needs of the new
international system which had become much more
complex by 1970.
 The Role of the USA
֍ “The Sino-Soviet misunderstanding had matured into heated
clashes, both ideological and territorial.
֍ China had become a nuclear power by then and had found itself at
war with India in 1962.
֍ The American Cold War alliance NATO was in shambles and
America was deeply committed against a nationalist communist
force in Vietnam.
֍ Above all the USSR had attained nuclear weapon destructive
parity with the United States.
֍ During 1969-1970 President Nixon's Asian policy was dominated
by a gradual US disengagement with China.
 The Role of the USA

֍ These developments, placed Soviet Union as the main rival of

the United States.
֍ By the beginning of 1971 the US and China were both ready to
improve Sino-American relations as a means of improving the
position of both states against their common rival.
֍ This was the background of the highly controversial White
House policy toward East Pakistan in 1971 when the Nixon
administration supported Pakistan, an old ally of America and
friend of China.
 The Role of the USA
֍ As the crisis developed the American response to it went through
several visible phases.
 The 1st phase of quiet non-involvement began on 25 March and
lasted until 9/10 July 1971 during which the US described East
Pakistan crisis as Pakistan's “internal matter”.
 The 2nd phase started with the secret trip by Henry Kissinger to
China during July 1971, that marked the beginnings of Sino-US
agreement.
 This promptly led to the Indo-Soviet treaty in August.
 During this time, the US pursued diplomacy of restraint,
counselling India to discontinue from armed conflict with Pakistan
and pressed Pakistan to strike out a 'political settlement'.
 The Role of the USA
 During 3rd phase, lasting from September until December 3, when the Indo Pakistan
war over Bangladesh broke out, when US tried to promote a constructive political
dialogue but in vain.
 The 4th phase covered the period of the 14-day sub continental war, when the US
backed Pakistan and blamed India for the escalation of hostilities and tried through
the UN to bring about a ceasefire and “save Pakistan”.
 As last resort, the TF of the US 7th Fleet dispatched to the Bay of Bengal to
undermine Indian offensive & deflect the IAF and Navy to the US TF with a view to
giving much needed respite to Lt Gen Niazi’s forces but failed.
 United Nations

֍ On 4 December 1971 Kissinger reportedly told a White House strategy session:

“The exercise in the UN is likely to be an exercise in futility, as much as the Soviets
can be expected to veto”.
֍ The UN Security Council "veto power" refers to the power of the five permanent
members of the UN Security Council to veto any substantive resolution.
֍ China, France, Russian, UK, & USA are the permanent members.
 United Nations
֍ Nevertheless, the US continued its efforts within the UN to
achieve a ceasefire without such delay as would put Pakistan
into trouble.
֍ To this end, the US moved two draft resolutions on its own
and an additional one in cooperation with Japan which made
no substantial reference to the need for a political settlement in
East Pakistan.
֍ They simply proposed an immediate Indo-Pakistan ceasefire
and withdrawal of troops which were vetoed by Soviet Union
which insisted that the proposed ceasefire should be related to
an acceptable political settlement of the East Pakistan question.
 United Nations
֍ Each of the two super powers played its part in accordance with its
own national, regional and global interests.
֍ Bangladesh, as a part of Pakistan, was a geopolitical rarity has its
own convincing reasons for successful separation from a post-
colonial polity.
֍ In addition, it was a land struggling for independence at a time when
global politics was undergoing strategic shifts.
֍ Involvement of the superpowers, whether positive or negative,
resulted in the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent and
sovereign state.