The Rival Powers in Central Asia: Or, The Struggle Between England and Russia in the EastA. Constable, 1893 - 235 pages The Rival Powers in Central Asia is an English translation of a work originally published in Vienna in 1890 under the title Antagonismus der Englischen und Russischen Interessen in Asien: Eine Militär-Politische Studie (The antagonism between English and Russian interests in Asia: A military-political study). The study analyzes what the author sees as the threat to British India posed by an aggressive Russia. The author characterizes the Russian Empire as a "reckless, expansive force," which, having reached its natural limits on the seas to the east and the north, was now concentrating "all its energies on the South, and chiefly in the direction of Constantinople and Central Asia." While the Russian thrust into Central Asia is portrayed as a threat mainly to British interests, Russian ambitions toward Constantinople are seen as most threatening to the continental European powers, "Austria in particular," which "cannot at any cost permit Russia to take possession of Constantinople." On this basis, the author argues that it is in Great Britain's interest to join a "Central European Coalition" with Austria-Hungary and imperial Germany. Chapter four, the longest in the book, entitled "Strategical Relations of the Two States," assesses the relative strengths of Russia and Great Britain in a contest for control of Central Asia and ultimately India, with sections on land forces, naval forces, and the transport and logistical routes likely to be used by each power. The concluding chapter discusses the benefits that Great Britain would gain by allying with the Central European powers against Russia, stresses the value to those powers of a British alliance, and argues that only through such an alliance would Britain be able to retain its hold on India. Ultimately, of course, the envisioned alliance did not come about, as some two decades later Great Britain allied with Russia (and France) and against Germany and Austria-Hungary in the great European conflict that came to be known as World War I. |
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advance in Central Afghan Afghanistan Amir Amu Daria army corps Asiatic attack Austria Bashkirs battalions Black Sea Bokhárá Britain British army British Government Cabinet Cabul Calmucks campaign against India Candahar Caspian Sea Caucasian Caucasus cavalry Central Asia century Chitral Circassians civilisation coalition Colonel command compelled conquered conquest consequently Cossacks Daria defend Empire England and Russia English Europe expedition fleet force frontier garrison Gilgit Grusia Herat Hindu Kush horde India Indus influence Khan Khanates Khiva Kirghiz Kokand Lastly latter Lord ment Merv miles military militia mountains native negociations occupied officers opinion Orenburg organisation Oxus Pamir Persia Petersburg population possession provinces question Quetta railway regard regiments route Russia Russia's advance Russia's progress Russian army Russian Government Sarakhs Sea of Aral secure Shah Sir Daria Sir Henry Rawlinson strategical relations Sultan Teheran territory tion took Trans-Caspian Trans-Caspian railway treaty tribes troops Turcomans Turkestan Turkey Tzar Ural valley whilst
Popular passages
Page 53 - Lake) on the east to the junction of the Kokcha River with the Oxus (or Penjah), forming the northern boundary of this Afghan province throughout its entire extent.
Page 119 - Not only was it far from the intention of the Emperor to take possession of Khiva, but positive orders had been prepared to prevent it, and directions given that the conditions imposed should be such as could not in any way lead to a prolonged occupancy of Khiva.
Page 193 - Every one," continued Skobeloff, "who has concerned himself with the question of a Russian invasion of India will declare that it is only necessary to penetrate to a single point of the Indian frontier to bring about a general rising. . . . Even the contact of an insignificant force with the frontier of India might lead to a general insurrection throughout the country, and the collapse of the British Empire."2...
Page 78 - ... experience, which, as we are interested parties, might be supposed to incline rather to the side of suspicion, we have further been assured by sagacious foreign observers, free from all national prejudice, but who have watched the progress of events, and have been more or less admitted behind the scenes, that the continued advance of Russia in Central Asia is as certain as the succession of day and night. Whether it be from a natural law of increase, or from the preponderating weight of the military...
Page 82 - The limits of the territories of the two States of Russia and Persia shall be determined according to the admission of Great Britain, Persia, and Russia.
Page 111 - Now if this statement be correct — and there seems no reason to doubt it — it may truly be said that we are living upon a volcano in India, which at any minute may explode and overwhelm us...
Page 112 - Water and supplies abound, and routes from all the great cities to the north, which would furnish the Russian supports, meet in this favoured spot. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that if Russia were once established in full strength at Herat, and her communications were secured in one direction with Asterabad through Meshed, in another with Khiva through Merv, and in a third with Tashkend and Bokhara through Mymeneh and the passage of the Oxus, all the native forces of Asia would be inadequate...
Page 87 - But such reasoners leave entirely out of consideration that India is a conquered country, where a certain amount of discontent must be ever smouldering which would be fanned into a chronic conflagration by the contiguity of a rival European power.
Page 100 - Cabinet as an equal partner (as least in theory) of the secretary of state for war and the first lord of the admiralty.
Page 111 - This parallel is above 1000 miles in advance of the first line, but it does not directly menace India, inasmuch as the intervening Afghan mountains constitute a strong military defence. The third parallel, which would be the natural result of the preceding preliminary operations, and which, if Russia survive revolution in Europe and catastrophe in Asia, she will assuredly some day attempt, would be drawn from Asterabad at the south-east corner of the Caspian along the Persian frontier to Herat, and...