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 - Khiva, and had then declared that '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 would not in any way lead to the prolonged occupation of Khiva.
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 78 - Emperor's real pacific tendencies, in spite even of our remonstrances and possibly our threats, Russia will continue to push on towards India until arrested by a barrier which she can neither remove nor overstep. If this programme be correct, it means of course contact and collision, and such I believe, as far as my own means of observation extend, to be the inevitable result in due course of time.
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...
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 87 - Kashmir, the rates of duty on all our staple articles of produce and manufacture poor to purchase our manufactures, and too indolent to supply our markets with their own produce. 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 117 - ... Influence. When first this phrase was employed in the language of diplomacy I do not know, but I doubt if a more momentous early use of it can be traced than that in the assurance first given by Count Gortchakoff to Lord Clarendon in 1869, and often since repeated, that Afghanistan lay ' completely outside the sphere within which Russia might be called upon to exercise her influence...
Page 112 - ... military position in Central Asia. The earthworks which surround the town are of the most colossal character, and might be indefinitely strengthened. 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 secure'd in one direction with Asterabad through Meshed, in another...