Military History and Conflict Studies

Historical analysis of major wars, strategic turning points, campaign studies, and lessons learned for contemporary military thought.

Pakistan Paradox, An Imperfect Partition : A Nuclear State at War with its Neighbours, its Periphery and Itself

Seventy-nine years after Partition, Pakistan remains trapped in a cycle of geopolitical confrontation, domestic instability and economic dependence. While headlines focus on Taliban attacks, unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, Baloch insurgency or repeated IMF bailouts, these are symptoms rather than causes.

This article argues that Pakistan's enduring instability originates in the hurried colonial partition of 1947, compounded by decades of military dominance, proxy warfare and great-power patronage. It analyses the evolution of Pakistan's security doctrine, its changing relationship with the Taliban, internal fault lines, Cold War legacies and the country's strategic relevance in an emerging multipolar world.

Rather than viewing these crises separately, this article presents them as interconnected outcomes of a state whose foundational contradictions remain unresolved.

From Blitzkrieg Dreams to Industrial‑Age Attrition:Why the Russia–Ukraine War Has Become a Contest of Endurance?

The Russia–Ukraine war has moved far beyond its initial framing as a limited “special military operation” or a territorial dispute over Donbas and Crimea. It has become the world’s longest major conventional war of the twenty‑first century, a grinding contest of endurance in which political will, industrial capacity, energy infrastructure and nuclear thresholds all shape the battlefield more than any single offensive. In this analysis, Major General Dr S B Asthana examines how the conflict has evolved into an industrial‑age war of attrition fought with twenty‑first century tools—and explores how a war stretched between proxy dynamics, industrial capacity and nuclear deterrence might eventually end. Sharing my latest analysis as on first week July 2026 as an analytical article in below.

The Iran Deal Mirage: From Switzerland and Beyond!

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026 and subsequent negotiations in Switzerland have generated cautious optimism. However, beneath the diplomatic headlines lies a deeper strategic reality. In this analysis, Major General (Dr.) S B Asthana examines why the fundamental objectives of Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran remain irreconcilable, making any future agreement inherently fragile. Drawing upon military strategy, geopolitical realities and regional dynamics, the article explores the JCPOA-plus paradox, the role of Hormuz, the Lebanon fault line, and the implications for India. Sharing the latest analysis from the author.

Xi, Trump, Kim and the New Nuclear Normal

"North Korea is no longer merely a nuclear challenge. It risks becoming the precedent."
North Korea has evolved from an isolated security concern into a central player in twenty-first century geopolitics.

As strategic competition between the United States, China and Russia intensifies, Pyongyang has leveraged nuclear deterrence, geopolitical balancing and economic adaptation to transform itself from a sanctioned outlier into a consequential actor within an emerging multipolar order.

This article examines why Donald Trump adopted a comparatively restrained approach towards Kim Jong Un, how Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have reshaped North Korea's strategic environment, whether the country's economy is more resilient than commonly perceived, and why the Korean precedent may encourage future nuclear ambitions in Iran, Japan and South Korea.

Most importantly, it explores whether the international community has quietly shifted from preventing nuclear proliferation to merely managing it.

The Iran War & Global Disruption: Interview of Major General Dr. S B Asthana by FPRC, India, Issue 66.

Read the verbatim FPRC Journal 66 interview with Major General Dr. S B Asthana on the Iran War, Trump’s coercive diplomacy, Netanyahu's political survival, and the realistic compulsions behind India's strategic silence after the tragic MT Settebello strikes.

A podcast video screenshot of Maj Gen Asthana gesturing with a raised claw-hand, demonstrating the hidden 'Wagh Nakh' (tiger claw) tactic of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to explain asymmetrical and grey-zone warfare strategies in the Indian Ocean.

From Shivaji’s Ganimi Kava to the Strait of Hormuz: How Asymmetric Warfare Shapes Modern Conflict

From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's 'Wagh Nakh' tactic to modern grey-zone operations: Maj Gen Asthana breaks down the new rules of engagement in the Indian Ocean on @AsthanaWrites.

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