1941: Afghanistan

Nazi Domination.

The long Anglo-Russian-German contest for influence in Afghanistan reached a climax in 1941. After more than five years of intensive German penetration, Nazis had obtained key positions in leading industries, acted as government advisers, and constructed public works. A German-Afghan company, for example, had been granted a national monopoly for mineral prospecting. Walter Rodenstein, formerly of the Reichsbank, served as financial adviser in the industrial department of the National Bank of Afghanistan. In connection with this office, he interviewed most of the important foreigners entering the country and approved all technicians hired by the Afghan government — even though they were to work in factories supported by British capital. In February, H. Scholler came to Afghanistan as German Minister to replace Gunther Thommas, who moved his base of operations to Iran, despite the public announcement that he was going back to Germany. Similarly, Afghanistan was used as a debarkation center for many other Nazi agents going to different parts of the Middle East. The Germans took advantage of the old dispute over the Indian-Afghanistan border by offering the Afghans Baluchistan and the Indus frontier. By going to war against the Soviet Union, however, the Germans sacrificed their best routes for sending machinery to Afghanistan — through Russia — and lost prestige when they were unable to continue construction work in fulfilment of their contracts.

Cooperation with Britain.

Afghanistan, strategic link between Russia and India, was the only gap in Britain's control of the 2,000-mile political and military frontier across Southwestern Asia. In considering the possibility of closer military cooperation with the Soviet Union, the British realized that the Nazis in Afghanistan were a serious danger. Kuibyshev (Samara), designated as the new seat of the Russian government, is served by a railroad which connects with branches running to Termez and Kushk on the Afghan frontier. Although Afghanistan has neither railroads nor navigable rivers, engineers have stated that it would be possible to build a railway across the country from Quetta, India, to Herat and thence across the mountain range to the Russian railway terminus at Kushk. When the Russo-German war cut off most of the supplies reaching the country from Russia. Afghanistan became dependent on India for iron, cement, ammunition, sugar and silk.

During the first part of October, it was reported that the British and Soviet governments had delivered notes to the Afghan government, similar to those sent to Iran in June, requesting the deportation of German and Italian nationals. On Oct. 19 the Kabul radio announced that Afghanistan had accepted a British offer for safe transit of German and Italian nationals through India. After the National Parliament had endorsed the government's decision to deport Germans and Italians, the respective legations were informed, and they agreed to accept the proffered passage through India. A Reuter's dispatch from New Delhi. India, on Nov. 2 stated that 206 German and Italian deportees had reached Peshawar from Afghanistan and would proceed to their native countries. The official German news agency, D.N.B., announced on Dec. 6 that 180 German nationals ousted from Afghanistan had arrived in Vienna.

1940: Afghanistan

Afghanistan spent the year 1940 in comparative quiet, despite rumors of war threats along its Russian border. Beginning with a dispatch in Italian newspapers on Dec. 21, 1939, declaring that Afghanistan's Cabinet had ordered general mobilization of all armed forces 'to provide strictest military vigilance' on the Soviet-Afghan border, reports of an imminent invasion from Russia spread widely. Finally, on March 27, 1940, the semi-official Kabul newspaper Islah forcefully denied the 'baseless rumors,' which had begun to create local unrest; Afghanistan, the account stressed, maintained friendly relations with all neighboring states and did not fear attack from any quarter. In July the Government concluded an extensive trade agreement with the Soviet Union. The pact, signed at Kabul, provided for the exchange of Russian salt, sugar, kerosene, textiles, and agricultural machinery for Afghan wool, karakul, hides and medical herbs. (See also IRAN.)

Owing to Afghanistan's strategic importance controlling the military approaches to India, Britain has long tried to prevent Soviet penetration of the country. British anxieties were aroused in July over reports from Cairo that powerful German interests in Kabul were encouraging a coup d'état to dethrone King Mohammed Zahir Shah and place his pro-Nazi uncle, Sirdar Ahmed Shah Kahn, at the head of a new Afghan government. To deal with any threat to the country's security, King Zahir kept the army in readiness throughout the year. It consists of about 150,000 troops — raised by conscripting, for two years' service, 12 per cent of the male population between the ages of 20 and 50. Afghanistan, moreover, has a small but efficient air force, well-trained by British and Italian officers.

Early in December the semi-official press reported that the Afghan Ministry of National Economy had prepared a five-year plan for developing the country's road system, agriculture, and industry, and that a new department of Agriculture and Transport had been created to spur this activity. Before the year was over, construction had been started on a new Kabul-Peshamar highway, a project which will require about $1,500,000 and three years to build.

1939: Afghanistan

Afghanistan's internal affairs showed little change during 1939, as progress in modernization continued. Although some headway was made in the construction of roads and establishment of factories, the work thus far has been on a relatively small scale. A project for twice-weekly airplane service to Europe was reported to be under consideration, but it has probably been abandoned because of the war. On Sept. 7, another tribal revolt began on the Indian frontier. A band of 3,000 men from Tirah entered Afghanistan, where they expected help from Afghan tribes. Three border villages were threatened before the raiders were checked by Afghan troops and were forced to withdraw under pressure from the Indian authorities. The ringleaders, who were said to have been supported by former King Amanullah, were promptly arrested. The revolt, apparently timed to coincide with the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, collapsed within a few days.

The Government of King Zahir proclaimed its neutrality in the European War on Sept. 8. Afghanistan has not yet been involved in the conflict, although three of the Great Powers — Germany, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain — are interested in this strategically situated country. British influence has thus far been challenged only by Germany, which signed a trade treaty with the Afghan Government during the summer. Among the foreigners resident in the capital, it was reported that 125 were Germans, 12 were Russians, and only 6 were British. The British Government was said to be unconcerned about rumors of Soviet troop movements on the Afghan border. If Germany and the Soviet Union should collaborate against Great Britain in the Near East, however, Afghanistan — as the northeastern gateway to India — might eventually become the scene of diplomatic and even military activity.

1938: Afghanistan

Some slow progress toward improvement in living conditions has been made in Afghanistan during recent years, although the present Government has avoided the excessively-rapid modernization undertaken by King Amanullah before his abdication in 1929. Very little change has been effected in the predominantly nomadic life of the country, the native handicrafts of the towns, or the limited foreign trade. The Government proclaimed new nationality laws in April 1937, providing that children born of foreign parents may acquire citizenship under certain conditions and that Afghan citizens may be deprived of their rights in case of undesirable activities, such as service in a foreign army. Several consignments of military airplanes, purchased from Great Britain and Italy, were delivered early in 1938 at Kabul, after being transported by tractor-drawn trucks over the road from the Khyber Pass. The new airplanes will be flown by Afghan pilots, trained in India.

A serious revolt arose among Waziristan warriors during June 1938, when British Army officers discovered a plot to overthrow the present Afghan dynasty. The leader of the rebellion was Saiyd Muhammad Sadi, a Mohammedan fanatic from Damascus, who was traveling along the frontier ostensibly to collect funds for repairing a Syrian shrine damaged by earthquake. Some suspicion arose that Italian influence was involved, since former King Amanullah, now resident in Rome, has desired to regain the Afghan throne. The Indo-Afghan frontier was closed for several weeks, while British officials undertook punitive air bombings and dispersed the rebellious tribesmen.

Little change in the international position of Afghanistan has taken place in recent years. The Sirdar Mohamed Hashim Khan, Afghan Prime Minister and uncle of King Zahir, visited London in February 1937 and was received by King George VI. The Afghan Government on July 8, 1937, signed the four-power Middle Eastern Pact, by which Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Iraq pledged mutual respect of frontiers, non-interference and non-aggression, pacific settlement of disputes, and frequent consultation.