748 Chapter 6
Participants: 365 Russia/700 Afghanistan
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side A (Negotiated)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: Urta Tagail was an island of 160 square miles that sat in the Amu Darya
River. By the Granville-Gortchakoff agreement of 1872 between Russia and Britain,
the southern part of the river, which was the deeper section, formed Afghanistan’s
boundary. However, around the turn of the century the river changed course so that
the northern part carried the main current.
Afghanis then occupied the island, although Russia did not abandon its claim to the
island. After the Russian Revolution Uzbek refugees moved to the island, and rebels
used the island to launch raids into Soviet territory.
On December 18, 1925, Soviet forces occupied Urta Tagail, ostensibly to reclaim
the territory but more likely to deny the rebels a launching pad for attacks. The Afghan
government mobilized for war. The king gave the war minister control of the govern-
ment, and on December 25, the king gave a speech hinting that war could soon begin.
By February 4, 1926, the Soviets had agreed to abandon the island to Afghani troops,
and the last of the Soviet troops left the island on February 28. On August 31, the
Soviet and Afghani governments signed a protocol that gave Afghanistan sovereignty
over the island and gave the residents six months to move to Soviet territory if they
wished.
MID#3191
Dispute Number: 3191
Date(s): October 1939 to October 9, 1939
Participants: 365 Russia/700 Afghanistan
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: As Soviet troops began moving into China, Afghanistan mobilized its
armed forces to prevent border violations by Soviet forces. There were later reports
of hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops being massed on the border, but they were
discounted.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from October 2, 1939. End Date changed from
January 15, 1940.
MID#4054
Dispute Number: 4054
Date(s): March 3, 1993 to February 21, 1994
Participants: 365 Russia, 701 Turkmenistan, 702 Tajikistan, 703 Kyrgyzstan, 704
Uzbekistan, 705 Kazakhstan/700 Afghanistan
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: 26–100 deaths
Narrative: A series of disputes in 1993 between Tajikistan and Afghanistan led to a
dispute of seven surrounding states concerning the Tajik-Afghan border. Russia and
Uzbekistan came to the aid of Tajikistan. Soon the trio became six against Afghanistan