January 1, 1970

Introduced by Richard M. Langworth

In his first book, The Story of the Malakand Field Force, the young Churchill poses questions which have as much relevance now as they did in 1898. Ben MacIntyre looks at modern war in Afghanistan and the lessons derived from reading Churchill’s book by former NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal.

In 1898 Churchill wrote, ‘British power, having conquered the plains of India and subdued its sovereigns, paused at the foot of the Himalayas and turned its tireless energy to internal progress and development. The “line of the mountains”… was found to be an inadequate deterrent … The priesthood, knowing that their authority would be weakened by civilisation, have used their religious influence on the people to foment a general rising … Only one real objection has been advanced against the plan. But it is a crushing one [and] it is this: we have neither the troops nor the money to carry it out’.

MacIntyre explains how young Churchill’s book influenced General McChrystal, who came to similar conclusions about Afghanistan a century later: ‘Churchill was a natural historian, and for all their imperial arrogance, his words carry unmistakable relevance to Afghanistan today.’

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Read the full article here: ‘The Riddle of the Frontier’ by Winston S. Churchill and ‘Afghanistan: The Churchill Experience’ by Ben MacIntyre in Finest Hour 147, Summer 2010, scroll to page 20 and 22.