China 1961–1962

Abstract

In the decade preceding the war with China, the Indian military system underwent an important transition. The role of British officers in command and advisory functions dwindled. In April 1954 the air force got its first Indian chief of staff; as did the navy four years later. By the time the dispute with China came to the fore, the Indian armed forces were staffed entirely by Indian officers. In retrospect it is clear that this transition was not unproblematic. Not because Indian officers were in any way less capable than their British counterparts, but because several of them had less than adequate preparation for higher command particularly at the strategic level. Owing to the delayed “Indianization” of the officer corps during the Raj, the pool of Indian officers with the requisite experience had been limited. In consequence, several officers had had rapidly to climb up the chain of command in independent India’s armed forces.