Third Anglo-Afghan War

Third Anglo-Afghan War
Part of the Interwar period
Soldiers in action at Kohat during the Third Anglo-Afghan War
Date 3 May – 8 August 1919 Location North-West Frontier of the British India and Afghanistan Result Afghan victory[1][2] Treaty of Rawalpindi Unrest in Waziristan
Belligerents
Afghanistan	United Kingdom  India
Commanders and leaders
Amanullah Khan Nadir Khan Saleh Muhammad Khan	Arthur Barrett Reginald Dyer Alexander Eustace
Strength
50,000 man standing army supported by up to 80,000 tribesmen	8 divisions 5 independent brigades 3 cavalry brigades, plus a number of modern aircraft, armoured cars and artillery
Casualties and losses
1,000 dead[3] Hundreds more killed from wounds[3]	1,751 dead or wounded[3] Hundreds more killed by disease[3][4] 3 planes destroyed[5]

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History of Afghanistan
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Related historical regions Arachosia Aria Ariana Bactria Gandhara Iran Kabulistan Kafiristan Khorasan Kushanshahr Paropamisadae Sistan Zabulistan
Related topics Political history Political violence Culture Economic history Name Afghan (ethnonym) List of years List of heads of state Wars List of wars Hinduism history Hindu and Buddhist heritage Jewish history Muslim conquests
Category Afghanistan portal
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The Third Anglo-Afghan War^[a] was a short war which began on 3 May and ended on 8 August 1919. The new Amir of the Emirate of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan declared a Jihad against the British in the hope to proclaim full independence, as well as to strengthen his own legitimacy. Amanullah's forces invaded British India on three fronts taking advantage of the unrest in India, in an effort to seize the old Afghan provinces west of the River Indus.

Despite some initial success, the Afghan invasion was however repelled by the British, the latter who were reinforced and responded in force. The Afghans were then driven back across the border via the Khyber Pass towards Jalalabad, with the British occupying Dacca and Spin Boldak by the end of May. Further Afghan incursions and tribal uprisings attacks were contained such as in Thal. The Royal Air Force were also used in bombing and strafing attacks on the frontier tribes as well as targets within Afghanistan, including Kabul and Jalalabad. Although small in scale, it was a contributing force for Amanullah to call for an armistice in June.

The Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 was signed on 8 August which resulted in the Afghans re-gaining dejure control of foreign affairs from Britain,^[b] and the Afghans recognizing the Durand Line as the border.^[8]

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