a house divided, 1933–73
British fears that Germany was involved in the Frontier uprisings led to
a new diplomatic initiative aimed at drawing the Afghan government closer
to British interests. In October 1938 Sir Aubrey Metcalfe, India’s Foreign
Secretary, flew to Kabul to discuss Frontier issues and to seek assurances
from the government that it would not support the Fakir of Ipi’s revolt. In
return, Britain offered limited military aid and made a number of conces-
sions on freight charges for Afghan exports in transit. Hashim Khan was
grateful for the swift action by the raf to disperse the Shami Pir’s levies
and Metcalfe’s visit was instrumental in Hashim Khan’s decision to remain
neutral when war finally broke out in September 1939.
Despite Afghanistan’s declared neutrality, Zabuli, backed by Da’ud and
Na‘im, continued to promote German interests and urged Afghanistan
to join the war on Germany’s side. In spring 1941 Zabuli paid a semi-
private visit to Berlin where he met with Hitler and von Hentig and told
the German Chancellor that he was prepared to depose King Zahir Shah
and Hashim Khan and declare war on British India. In return, Zabuli
asked for German planes, tanks and anti-aircraft guns so he could push
the Afghan frontier to the Indus and occupy Karachi. Zabuli also asked
Hitler to use his influence with the Soviet Union, which at the time was
an ally of Germany, to secure undertakings that the ussr would respect
Afghanistan’s northern frontier.
In Kabul, German and Italian diplomats covertly supported the Fakir of
Ipi and tried to persuade him to extend his revolt to other parts of the fron-
tier. In the summer of 1941 Italian agents secretly crossed the border and
met with the Fakir. A few weeks later two Germans, ostensibly conduct-
ing scientific research, were intercepted by an Afghan patrol near Charkh
in the Logar. In the altercation that followed, one German was shot dead
and the other badly wounded. When the patrol searched their baggage
they found lakhs of afghanis and rupees, gold, machine guns and letters
addressed to the Fakir of Ipi and other anti-British tribal leaders. Britain
demanded the Afghans expel all Axis nationals and diplomats, a demand
that Hashim Khan did not take lightly, for a few months earlier British
forces had occupied neutral Iraq and deposed its government. British and
Soviet forces, now allies following Germany’s unexpected attack on Russia,
had subsequently also occupied southern and northern Iran respectively.
Both invasions were motivated by a need to secure vital oil supplies, but
publicly the action was justified on the grounds that the Iraqi and Iranian
governments had refused to expel Axis personnel. Refusal to comply with
the British demand therefore raised the prospect that Afghanistan too was
at risk of being occupied by British and Soviet forces.
nandana
(Nandana)
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