Nehru’s Handling of Goa and the 1962 China-India Border Conflict

ABSTRACT: India’s handling of the dispute over Goa related not only to its bilateral relations with Portugal, but also linked closely to changes in Cold War strategic competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as shifting Cold War alliances. While representing Nehru’s conception of India’s regional political power, his military expedition in Goa also marked the deterioration of Sino-Indian relations, and India’s signaling of a hardline stance vis-à-vis border demarcation. Nehru’s military victory in Goa brought about a torrent of nationalism in India directed at China, pushing India to adopt an even stronger stance with respect to its border, and thereby pushing China and India closer to the brink of war.