Afghanistan at the Сenter of the Great Game. 1879—1885. Act Four: Akhal-Teke Expeditions
Dmitry V. Vasilyev, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor
Moscow City University, Moscow, Russia, dvvasiliev@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6616-0646
Abstract
The Anglo-Afghan War, in which the Russian Empire could have become a party to the conflict, but did not, ended the potentially hot phase of the Great Game. It can be assumed that the Russian government softened the British position at the Berlin Congress. After this, it fundamentally abandoned pressure on England from the Turkestan Governоrate General. Russian generals in Central Asia focused their attention on the Trans-Caspian region, where the problem of pacifying the Turkmen was preserved. It was planned to include their lands into the Russian Empire. Petersburg set the task of establishing a strong border with Persia and Afghanistan. Caucasian generals implemented it through the annexation of new territories that were of strategic importance to the Empire. The key point in this regard was the Akhal-Teke oasis. Its conquest opened the way to fertile oases towards Afghan Herat. In order to keep Akhal-Teke under their rule, the Russian authorities established a new administration here, similar to those in other parts of Central Asia.
Keywords
Transcaspian Military Sector, Turkmen, Akhal-Teke, Geok-Tepe, oasis, Persia, Afghanistan, Great Britain, Great Game, administration policy.
Acknowledgments: The research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 24-28-00915, https://rscf.ru/project/24-28-00915/, implemented at the Russian Academy of Entrepreneurship
For citation:
Vasilyev D. V. Afghanistan at the Сenter of the Great Game. 1879—1885. Act Four: Akhal-Teke Expeditions. Vestnik of Orenburg State Pedagogical University. Electronic Scientific Journal, 2024, no. 3 (51), pp. 154—169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32516/2303-9922.2024.51.10.
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