In 1881, the new emperor Alexander III ascended the Russian throne. This king stood out among his predecessors. The tragic event preceding his accession to the throne, namely the assassination of his father Alexander II, plunged the entire country into shock.
Peacemaker Tsar
Nevertheless, Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich became the ruler whom Russia had long awaited, exhausted by wars and revolutionary movements - a peacemaker tsar.
V. Vereshchagin. "They attack by surprise."
Putting order inside the country, Alexander III tried to achieve solutions in foreign policy by peaceful means. On the one hand, the monarch was actively involved in strengthening the armament of the country, and on the other hand, no wars were waged during this period. Remained winged his words that Russia has only two allies - its army and navy. Having strengthened the army and the navy during the years of his reign, the emperor did not threaten anyone and did not attack anyone. Russia was against the secret partitions of other states, conspiracies behind the back of the weaker ones. Such behavior in the world was not associated with weakness, but on the contrary, enjoyed great respect.
A reason for a big war
Promotional video:
It is especially worth mentioning one episode that occurred on the border of modern Turkmenistan and Afghanistan in 1885 and which is directly related to Russian military history. Here, in the area of the Kushka fortress, on the banks of the river of the same name, a battle took place between Russian and Afghan troops, which almost became a pretext for a big war between Russia and Great Britain.
General Alexander Komarov.
It is well known that throughout the 19th century the Russian Empire expanded its territories, mastering Asia and the Caucasus. This happened as a result of a series of successful wars with Persia and Turkey. Gradually, the Kazakh tribal unions, the Bukhara Emirate and the Khorezm Khanate passed under the authority of St. Petersburg. The advancement of Russian troops deep into the territories of Central Asia was ensured in a variety of ways: sometimes with a whip, sometimes with a carrot.
Cossacks in Central Asia.
By 1885, Russia's territory had expanded to the city of Merv, the Murghab oasis in the Karakum desert. Then there were the territories of Afghanistan and there were the interests of England, which did not want to silently look at all this. Reason on the surface: Afghanistan was the last land obstacle to India. The British would not be British if they acted alone. They had the military potentials of Persia and Afghanistan to “contain aggressive Russia” (and this was written about in London in the 1880s). Depending on the situation, when threats and military force, when bribes and promises, the British tried to play off the local rulers in confrontation with Russia.
Kushka - southern outpost
Merv's accession was a landmark event. Russia came close to the border of Afghanistan, controlled by the British. In the valley of the Kushka River, near which the city of Merv (now the Turkmen Mary) is located, the Panjdeh oasis was located, which both the Turkmen tribes and the Afghan emir considered their own. There are two versions of the development of events in 1885. The first is British: it says that the Russians captured part of Afghan territory; the second is the Russian one, which asserted that the Russian troops had not violated anything.
Caricature: Between Russia and England.
The British press even wrote at the time that now Alexander III allegedly would never return the trust of the English people. It was decided to find out who violated what. The British sent a special commission. Afghans, consisting of a thousandth military detachment and several topographers, crossed the Kushka River, i.e. the border beyond which the Russian territory began. This greatly angered the head of the Trans-Caspian region, Lieutenant-General Alexander Vissarionovich Komarov. He considered that the enemy had invaded the territory under his control.
The situation is difficult. Russian and Afghan troops lined up against each other and waited to see who would start first. The first shot could determine who the aggressor was. The military understood this, and at first everything was done only with mutual insults. General Komarov later recalled that the Afghans were gradually moving forward, trying to cover our detachment from both ends. The negotiations did not lead to a peaceful outcome.
Conquest of Asia.
On March 30, 1885, Komarov lined up his troops in battle formation and began to move on the Afghans without firing a single shot. According to eyewitnesses, this risky plan worked: the Afghans could not stand it and were the first to open fire. A bullet wounded the horse of one of the Cossacks, after which the Russian troops went on the attack. The battle was short-lived, the Afghan cavalry retreated, for some time the infantry was firing back, but under the onslaught of Russian soldiers it was forced to flee. As a result, several dozen Afghans were captured, about 600 of their soldiers were killed. According to various estimates, the losses of the Russians amounted to from 10 to 40 soldiers.
Gladstone calmed down
General Komarov reported to the emperor that the Afghans fought bravely and did not surrender without a fight, that all the wounded received medical assistance, and the dead were buried according to Muslim customs. Nevertheless, the scandal still flared up. British Prime Minister William Gladstone called Russia an "aggressor" and threatened with all the inconceivable punishments. In Russia, the victory was reacted with enthusiasm, and journalists urged to continue the march to India. Fortunately, this incident did not produce any radical actions, and the diplomats settled the situation itself. Alexander III retained the Panjadeh oasis and promised to respect the territorial integrity of Afghanistan in the future. And the fortress Kushka, which was built there, faithfully served first the imperial, and then the Soviet army.
Trophies at the Battle of Kushka.
Author: Vladimir Ivanov