In military history, commanders are often remembered for the wars they have fought and won or the territories they have defended. But some leaders etch their name in history not because they won a war that defined a generation but because they prepared their country for a war yet to come. General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, belongs to that category. His appointment as the second CDS, a position established in 2019 to bring tri-service integration under a single, cohesive strategic leadership, unprecedented in India’s military history, came at a period when the very character of warfare was evolving at a remarkable pace in India.
