What led to China's apparently decisive military victory in the 1962 Sino-Indian War, and how did the perception of this war affect Indian domestic and foreign policy in the next few years, if at all?

by ghostofherzl

No, this isn't a homework question. I've been randomly traipsing through internet pages on nuclear development and came across a claim that this war that I'd only read one book on before (and from a US perspective on managing it, not on the war itself in detail) led India to develop a nuclear program. How true is that claim at least, if nothing else?

drylaw

You may be interested in my earlier answer on the war, which focuses more on the Chinese side and on how it was perceived later on. I look briefly at the geopolitical context in a follow up, and another comment in this thread also deals more in detail with it - hopefully it will be helpful.