Conflicted: A History Podcast
Untangling history’s greatest controversies. Every month, we take a hard look at the historical conflicts that raise difficult questions, stoke controversy, and send our moral compasses spinning.
The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 5: Thank God, They’ve Attacked Us
On December 3rd, 1971, India and Pakistan go to war on two fronts, battling for the future of Bangladesh. In the East, the Indian army races against time, hoping to capture Dacca and force a Pakistani surrender before the United Nations can demand a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger unleash a fusillade of diplomatic pressure to frighten a defiant Indira Gandhi into compliance. After months of imprisonment, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman learns what has happened to his country. The war ends, and a new era begins.
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Unspeakable War, and Liberation. 2022.
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Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan. 2015.
Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger. 2001.
Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future. 2023.
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Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power. 2020.
Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal. 2011.
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