Post by Tipsyfish on May 9, 2016 0:40:53 GMT
I know this isn't Alternate history. But I'm going to be making videos about the Neutrals of WW2 and I was wondering if what I have written up is good enough to give an idea of what occurred. I'm doing one video per nation.
Kingdom of Afghanistan
Government:Constitutional monarchy
King:Mohammed Zahir Shah
Area:250,000 square miles
Population:7,000,000 (estimated)
Largest cities:Kabul (80,000), Kandahar (60,000), Herat (50,000)
Military personnel:60,000-100,000 men; compulsory active service for two years; reserve force from age 18 to 40; voluntary enlistment for life
Army:Nine "mixed" divisions, one Royal Household Division, one artillery division, one independent "mixed" infantry regiment, one independent cavalry brigade
Cavalry brigade:2 cavalry regiments, each of 5 to 8 squadrons and 1 machine gun company
Infantry regiments:3 battalions, each of 3 rifle companies and 1 machine gun company
Air Force:100 men, unknown amount of aircraft
Afghanistan meaning land of the Afghans has been a strategically important location throughout history. The land served as "a gateway to India, impinging on the ancient Silk Road, which carried trade from the Mediterranean to China". Sitting on many trade and migration routes, Afghanistan may also be known as the 'Central Asian roundabout' since routes converge from the Middle East, from the Indus Valley, from the Far East, and from the Eurasian Steppe. It was the home to many empires throughout history such as the Mughals, Durrani, Kushians, and Timurids just to name a few. After the fall of the Durrani Empire in 1823, Afghanistan was a major point of contention between the Russian Empire in the north, and the British Empire in the south who sought to expand their control over Central Asia. This is otherwise known as the great game. Long story short, Afghanistan remained mostly independent from it's creation to present day.
Afghanistan went through three kings during the interwar periods. One being pro Soviet, and the other two Pro British. Zahir Shah was primarily pro-British like his father but under the influence of his uncle that was acting as regent. Zahir acknowledged Afghanistans role as a buffer state. As WW2 broke out, Immediately after the outbreak of war, King Zahir Shah's government proclaimed its official and legal neutrality in the conflict. By May 1940 the British Staff in India proposed a plan for defense against a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, although in such a contingency the forces were to shield India rather than prop up its neighbor. The plan called for an armored division, five infantry divisions, and an independent infantry brigade, of which the only troops actually available for employment amounted to four infantry brigades. Less ambitious plans were adopted, but were of no use as the war played out.
With the advent of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Afghanistan found itself rocked by a more serious international shockwave. The Soviet Union the great opponent of the British Empire in central Asia and ally of Afghanistan's German friends suddenly became an enemy of the Germans and a friend of the British. There was no longer any hope of playing the British against the Soviets. Soon afterward came the joint Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, an event which thoroughly alarmed the government, and at which point Afghanistan was surrounded by Allied-controlled territory. It became all too apparent to Kabuls government that it could suffer the same fate as its western neighbor and the government had no choice but to accede to the joint Anglo-Soviet demand in October 1941 for the expulsion of all Germans and Italians. Although due to Afghanistan's officially neutral status small diplomatic staffs were permitted to remain, by the end of the month 206 Axis nationals had departed for neutral Turkey. Some additional Italian and German diplomatic personnel were expelled in September 1943.
Afghanistan retained its neutrality but, surrounded by the possessions and occupied territories of the increasingly powerful Allied states, it became a neutrality which was as much enforced as chosen. Kabul never declared war on Germany and never broke diplomatic relations with Berlin unlike a good many other powers did near the end of the wat. Had the Wehrmacht defeated the Soviet Union, however, and had panzers appeared on its northern border, Afghanistan would not have hesitated to declare war against the Allies to gain all it could from British India.
Kingdom of Afghanistan
Government:Constitutional monarchy
King:Mohammed Zahir Shah
Area:250,000 square miles
Population:7,000,000 (estimated)
Largest cities:Kabul (80,000), Kandahar (60,000), Herat (50,000)
Military personnel:60,000-100,000 men; compulsory active service for two years; reserve force from age 18 to 40; voluntary enlistment for life
Army:Nine "mixed" divisions, one Royal Household Division, one artillery division, one independent "mixed" infantry regiment, one independent cavalry brigade
Cavalry brigade:2 cavalry regiments, each of 5 to 8 squadrons and 1 machine gun company
Infantry regiments:3 battalions, each of 3 rifle companies and 1 machine gun company
Air Force:100 men, unknown amount of aircraft
Afghanistan meaning land of the Afghans has been a strategically important location throughout history. The land served as "a gateway to India, impinging on the ancient Silk Road, which carried trade from the Mediterranean to China". Sitting on many trade and migration routes, Afghanistan may also be known as the 'Central Asian roundabout' since routes converge from the Middle East, from the Indus Valley, from the Far East, and from the Eurasian Steppe. It was the home to many empires throughout history such as the Mughals, Durrani, Kushians, and Timurids just to name a few. After the fall of the Durrani Empire in 1823, Afghanistan was a major point of contention between the Russian Empire in the north, and the British Empire in the south who sought to expand their control over Central Asia. This is otherwise known as the great game. Long story short, Afghanistan remained mostly independent from it's creation to present day.
Afghanistan went through three kings during the interwar periods. One being pro Soviet, and the other two Pro British. Zahir Shah was primarily pro-British like his father but under the influence of his uncle that was acting as regent. Zahir acknowledged Afghanistans role as a buffer state. As WW2 broke out, Immediately after the outbreak of war, King Zahir Shah's government proclaimed its official and legal neutrality in the conflict. By May 1940 the British Staff in India proposed a plan for defense against a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, although in such a contingency the forces were to shield India rather than prop up its neighbor. The plan called for an armored division, five infantry divisions, and an independent infantry brigade, of which the only troops actually available for employment amounted to four infantry brigades. Less ambitious plans were adopted, but were of no use as the war played out.
With the advent of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Afghanistan found itself rocked by a more serious international shockwave. The Soviet Union the great opponent of the British Empire in central Asia and ally of Afghanistan's German friends suddenly became an enemy of the Germans and a friend of the British. There was no longer any hope of playing the British against the Soviets. Soon afterward came the joint Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, an event which thoroughly alarmed the government, and at which point Afghanistan was surrounded by Allied-controlled territory. It became all too apparent to Kabuls government that it could suffer the same fate as its western neighbor and the government had no choice but to accede to the joint Anglo-Soviet demand in October 1941 for the expulsion of all Germans and Italians. Although due to Afghanistan's officially neutral status small diplomatic staffs were permitted to remain, by the end of the month 206 Axis nationals had departed for neutral Turkey. Some additional Italian and German diplomatic personnel were expelled in September 1943.
Afghanistan retained its neutrality but, surrounded by the possessions and occupied territories of the increasingly powerful Allied states, it became a neutrality which was as much enforced as chosen. Kabul never declared war on Germany and never broke diplomatic relations with Berlin unlike a good many other powers did near the end of the wat. Had the Wehrmacht defeated the Soviet Union, however, and had panzers appeared on its northern border, Afghanistan would not have hesitated to declare war against the Allies to gain all it could from British India.
