Second Anglo-Afghan War

The 2nd Anglo-Afghan War of 1878-1880 - the colonial war of England with the aim of establishing control over Afghanistan . After a stubborn armed struggle, England withdrew its troops, achieving the loyalty of the Kabul government.

Second Anglo-Afghan War
Main Conflict: Anglo-Afghan Conflict
The 92nd Scottish Infantry Regiment in Kandahar . Oil painting by Richard Cayton Woodville (Sr.).
date of	1878 - 1880
A place	Emirate of Afghanistan
Total	The victory of the British Empire Capture of the Afghan border tribal zone and its annexation to British India . The withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan after achieving political goals through the Gandamak Treaty . Afghanistan becomes a British protectorate.
Opponents
British Empire : United Kingdom British india Emirate of Afghanistan (in the main. people's militias)
Commanders
Frederick Roberts , Samuel Brown Donald Stewart. Shir Ali Khan Muhammad Ayub Khan
Losses
1850 killed in battle 8.000 dead from wounds and diseases More than 5,000 dead in battle Total unknown

As in the 1st Anglo-Afghan War of 1838 - 1842 , the British launched an invasion of Afghanistan due to dissatisfaction with its orientation towards Russia . In 1878 - 1879, the Anglo-Indian troops under the command of Major General Frederick Roberts , defeating the Afghans in several villages, captured Jalalabad , Kandahar and Kabul . Having suffered a defeat, the emir Shir-Ali , having left power to his son Yakub Khan , fled to Russian possessions in 1878.

Yakub Khan, becoming the new emir of Afghanistan, concluded the Gandamak Treaty on May 26, 1879 , according to which he ceded part of his territory to England and allowed the English resident, Sir Louis Cavagnari , to Kabul. A few months later, on September 3, 1879, the resident was killed along with his retinue, which entailed a second war. Yakub Khan abdicated and fled under the protection of the British to India; Kabul and Kandahar were occupied by British troops, and the rebellion of the Afghans threatening the British garrison in Kabul was repulsed by Sir Frederick Roberts.

Since the end of 1879, a popular uprising has spread in Afghanistan, in which up to 100 thousand people took part. In July 1880, the troops of Muhammad Ayub Khan , moving from Herat to Kandahar, defeated the British in a battle near the village of Mayvand . But near the walls of Kandahar, Muhammad Ayub Khan was defeated by Roberts troops coming from Kabul and fled back to Herat. In 1881, he again moved to Kandahar, but, having been defeated, fled to Persia .

At this time, Abdur-Rahman , who fled from Shir-Ali to General Abramov in Samarkand in 1870 , but continued to follow the events in his homeland, decided to try his luck again in the struggle for the throne. In the spring of 1880 he left Samarkand and appeared in Afghan Turkestan , where he soon gathered a significant number of supporters.

At the suggestion of the command of the British army, an English official Lepel Griffin was sent to negotiate with Abdur-Rahman. During the negotiations, Abdur-Rahman obtained from the British recognition of the ruler of all of Afghanistan, and not just its eastern part, as originally intended. On July 22, 1880, the princes of East and Central Afghanistan proclaimed Abdur-Rahman the new emir. Having established a new government in Kabul, the British left the country.