A military geographic investigation on the Xizang-Jammu War in 1841-1842
Ali Prefecture of Xizang,China is located in the middle and western sections of the China-India border,where the high altitude,continuous mountains,and crisscrossing valleys pose many restrictions on military activities.It was in this region that Chinese Xizang fought against Jammu's invasion from 1841 to 1842.The result of this war is closely related to the current border dispute between China and India.From the perspective of military geography,the military geographic pattern of Ali region underwent significant changes in the late Qing Dynasty.The three locations of Dongti,Chushule,and Shibuqi became the frontline of the military confrontation.At the beginning of the war,the Jammu army quickly passed through these three key locations and carried out a surprise attack.Xizang's army was forced to exchange space for time,and stroke a heavy blow to Jammu's army in Duoyu,recovering all lost territory.During the war,the main bases of operation of the Xizang army were located in the direction of Gorkha(Nepal).When they arrived in Leh,they were already over 2000 km away from their base.The Xizang army's attack was clearly unsustainable based on the analysis of time and distance factors.Thereby,the previous military structure of core-periphery was dramatically reversed,forming a new military geographic situation.When the Xizang army's attack exceeded its"peak",their situation shifted from advantaged to disadvantaged,forcing them to withdraw from Ladakh.This article aimed to reveal the relationships between wars and military geographic environments through military geographic analysis,and then identify key areas for war preparation and implementation,which is of great significance for the current national defense construction.Finally,the article put forward three recommendations for border security and national defense construction in the Ali region.
Ali Prefecture in XizangJammuLadakhmilitary geographyKashmir
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