COVERAGE OF THE RUSSIA–GREAT BRITAIN RIVALRY ON THE AFGHAN ISSUE IN THE PERIODICAL PRESS
Keywords:
History of Afghanistan, Second Anglo-Afghan War, The Great Game, Russian Empire, British Empire, Geopolitical rivalry, Gandamak Treaty, Durand Line, Central Asia, Buffer state policy, 19th-century diplomacy, Turkestanskie Vedomosti, Colonial policy, Border conflicts, Imperialism and Afghanistan.Abstract
In the second half of the 19th century, Afghanistan became the central stage of geopolitical rivalry between Great Britain and Russia. This article explores Afghanistan’s role as a buffer zone within the framework of the strategic struggle between empires, known as “The Great Game,” and highlights the events of the Gandamak Treaty (1879) and the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880). The analysis is based on archives of Turkestanskie Vedomosti and examines the political-diplomatic strategies of Britain and Russia, local uprisings, discontent within Afghanistan, and their international consequences. Particular attention is given to the problems surrounding the Durand Line and border conflicts, which are assessed as threats to Afghanistan’s sovereignty. The article reveals the instability of Afghanistan's foreign policy, the balancing policy pursued under the pressure of two empires, and the impact of this policy on internal stability.
References
1. Afghanistan as a Buffer State between Regional Powers in https://src-h.slav.hokudai.ac.jp/rp/publications/no14/14-05_Toriya.pdf
2. Treaty of Gandamak [1879] https://www.britannica.com/place/Khyber-Pass#ref251210
3. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1874. – № 43.
4. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1875. – № 17.
5. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1879. – № 6, 8, 9, 11.
6. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1879. – № 39.
7. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1879. – № 40.
8. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1879. – № 41.
9. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1880. – № 6.
10. Turkestanskie Vedomosti. – 1880. – № 9
