This collection of 4000 pages of primary research documents begins with material describing the Third British-Afghan War of 1919, which led to the establishment of Afghan independence. Coverage also includes coups and instability within the ruling family from 1919-1933; increased influence and sustained presence of the USSR; continuous evaluation by the British of the Russian threat posed for the integrity of Afghanistan and implications for the defence of India; relations between Afghanistan and neighbouring tribes including on the Northwest Frontier; and the activities in Afghanistan of anti-imperialist agents and groups. The volume ends in 1970 with the country moving towards the deposal of King Zahir Shah and the establishment of the republic in 1973. This collection reveals both the strategic significance and the characteristics - political, military and tribal - of Afghanistan 1919-1970, showing that many of these aspects can be seen to be unchanging and provide an historical perspective likely to assist the understanding of recent events.
