[Political Interest]

I have been wondering why these alliances developed. Why did Pakistan not develop an alliance with Moscow? In the 1970s the socialist leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto succeeded in steering Pakistan away from Washington and towards the Soviets but this was later stopped after he was overthrown in a coup. Today relations between the two countries are improving especially after the distancing between Pakistan and the USA.

Why was it not the case that from the 1950s onwards Pakistan would become an ally of the Soviet Union and India an ally of the United States? What led to things developing the way they did? From the beginning it is believed the Soviets were never happy about the creation of Pakistan as they viewed it only as a means of furthering British influence in South Asia after decolonisation.

[Smilin' Dave]

I have been wondering why these alliances developed. Why did Pakistan not develop an alliance with Moscow?

Moscow was already allied with their closest enemy, India. This made the choice of backer simpler, in that they just chose the two powers that were opposed to the Soviet Union, the US and later China.

[Political Interest]

Moscow was already allied with their closest enemy, India. This made the choice of backer simpler, in that they just chose the two powers that were opposed to the Soviet Union, the US and later China.

How did the Russians choose India or the Indians choose Russia? Was it because the Soviets were already suspicious of Pakistan and were happy to deal with the socialist pro-Soviet Nehru? Maybe it was also because India was the larger of the two and the more "natural" state in the view of the USSR.

[Decky]

India was the more powerful country, why wouldn't the Soviets have picked them?

[Political Interest]

India was the more powerful country, why wouldn't the Soviets have picked them?

They chose Israel over the whole Islamic world in 1948.

[Decky]

They chose Israel over the whole Islamic world in 1948.

And who has proved to be more powerful?

[Smilin' Dave]

How did the Russians choose India or the Indians choose Russia? Was it because the Soviets were already suspicious of Pakistan and were happy to deal with the socialist pro-Soviet Nehru? Maybe it was also because India was the larger of the two and the more "natural" state in the view of the USSR.

I think it was a bit of both, but the Indians might have been more receptive to socialist ideas initially than the Pakistanis.

They chose Israel over the whole Islamic world in 1948.

In 1948 most of the Arab world was still run by monarchies (Jordan, Egypt and I think Syria might have still had a king at that point for a start), and to an extent many would have still had strong times with Britain and France, which would have made Soviet support for them unlikely.