Book
The Afghan Wars 1839–1919
First published 1980
The Afghan Wars 1839–1919 traces the three major conflicts fought by British India against Afghanistan across eighty years of imperial rivalry. Tony Heathcote begins with the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War, follows the renewed struggle of 1878–80 during the height of the Great Game, and concludes with the short but important Third Anglo-Afghan War of 1919, when Afghan independence in foreign affairs was secured.
Heathcote combines campaign narrative with the strategic problems that repeatedly drew British governments across the frontier: fear of Russian influence, the defence of India, difficult communications and the political instability of Afghan succession. Retreats, sieges, mountain warfare and the growing use of modern weapons and air power reveal why Afghanistan repeatedly exposed the limits of imperial military power even when British forces could win individual campaigns.
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