Massacre of British Army in Afghanistan in 1842

[Bilal]

Ok,but i have heard that the british army that was defeated in afghanistan and no one ever defeated the afghans.

 

[Ash]

The Afghans were soundly defeated in 1879 at Sherpur. The British probably realised that trying to rule Afghanistan totally would come at a great cost of money and lives. It is said their plan was to divide the country and annex only Kandahar to British India, to act as a buffer to protect the British Raj, incase the Russians took over Afghanistan at that time. But even that plan didn't come into fruition because the British were defeated in 1881 at Maiwand. Soon after the country was united by Britian's preferred choice Amir Abdur Rahman, who ruled for 20 years without foreign intervention.

 

[sydsnyper]

Afghan War figures:-

Strength
Soviet Forces: 115,000 (plus massive war machinery)
Mujahideen: 200,000–250,000 (plus american & paki technical/armament help)

Casualties and losses:-
Soviet Forces: 14,453 Killed (total) & 53,753 Wounded
Mujahideen: 75,000–90,000 killed, & 75,000+ wounded (tentative estimate)
Civilians (Afghan): 850,000–1,500,000 killed

I agree with @desicanuk, had it not been for the americans and the pakis, russia would have smoked out the mujahideen over a period of time. Plus remember, there were paki regulars with all their CIA/American supplied weaponry/training fighting the Soviets.

US too faces the only problem in AF today, paki interference.

even without american help its difficult to wage a war in a country like afghanistan way back then.even with least support from outside,afghans scared us which has world's superior tech
the environment there is unforgiving

 

[Decklander]

Ok,but i have heard that the british army that was defeated in afghanistan and no one ever defeated the afghans.

Whom did the Sikhs defeat? Why did Sikh flag fly high in Kabul?
Who was Bappa rawal and why did all the Afgans were Hindus till 10th century?

 

[nrupatunga]

Folks,
If possible please read the book by william darlymple 1st anglo-afghan war. British weren't defeated, actually they took both kandahar and kabul and placed shah shuja on throne. Dost mohammed khan fled to bukhara. But they misjudged afghans, due to their misguided policies and also not allowing shah shuja to run his country caused problems which led to british withdrawing from kabul (they still held kandahar). This withdrawing army was hunted, though its not as said in "popular folklore" that only only one doctor survived and reached back punjab. Whoever few who managed to reach jalalabad, held on in jalalabad fort. Afghans tried taking the fort but had to flee back to kabul, as they failed to take jalalabad which was held a small band(compared to afghan numbers) of british army people.

Once East India Company heard of horrible losses and how army had suffered huge manpower loss. They sent a new army. This army had only one mandate i.e. revenge. This army on their way towards kabul raided/looted/massacred as many villages as possible. By this time it was akbar khan (son of dost mohammed khan)who was main afghan leader. Again he had to flee as afghans could not take on much better trained and also against the much better weapons of british. The army unit in kandahar also started towards kabul. Afghans lost again.Both armies met in kabul. Again a HUGE "revenge" massacer followed. Also on the way and in kabul they rescued many of their former army collegues. This itself shows that not all of the army was massacred.
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WRT afghanistan being graveyard of empires. Sorry if not for usa/west support how could have afghans fought against ussr?? Yes, money would have been provided by gcc nations but what about weapons?? Certainly afghans couldn't have been that effective w/o western support.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

British don't want to repeat the 1842 slaughter in Afghanistan - National Afghanistan Headlines | Examiner.com

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://themonctongrimes-dripdrain.blogspot.com/2014/10/oct-28-memories-of-first-afghan-war-1842.html


Oct. 28; Memories of the First Afghan War ; 1842

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017...torias-depiction-of-the-khyber-pass-incident/

How accurate is Victoria’s depiction of the Khyber Pass incident?