The article analyzes the events that led to the beginning of the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1881). In particular, the military and political side of the Anglo-Russian conflict at the final stage of the Eastern crisis (1875-1878) is sub-jected to a more detailed study. The author examines in details a particular episode – the departure to Afghanistan in the summer of 1878 the diplomatic mission of Major-General N. G. Stoletov to conclude an alliance against England, which was accompanied with a military demon-stration of the Russian army in relation to British India. Based on the comparison of the domestic and foreign researcher’s points of view, as well as by involving various groups of historical sources, an attempt is made to give an objective assessment of these events and to identify their influence on the genesis of the second Anglo-Afghan war, which became a natural consequence of the Anglo-Russian rivalry in the East at the end of the XIX century.
Roger R. Reese, The Imperial Russian Army in Peace, War, and Revolution, 1856-1917
