Land Warfare in the Eastern Theatre: 1971 Indo-Pak War

The formation of Bangladesh resulted from the military operations undertaken in erstwhile East Pakistan by the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Air Force established air superiority in the first few days which enabled land operations to be executed smoothly. The Indian Army outclassed the Pakistan Army by avoiding capture of towns and built-up areas. They headed for the capital Dacca which was the centre of gravity of the operations. The operations were preceded by detailed planning, logistics build up and war gaming which led to outclassing the enemy in the field. Dexterity was displayed in Airborne and Heliborne operations. The Mukti Bahini played a stellar role in providing intelligence as also undertaking small operations in depth areas. Finally, General JFR Jacob skillfully negotiated the surrender with the Pakistani Commanderin-Chief, General AAK Niazi. This has been the biggest victory for
Independent India.