The activity of Soviet diplomacy to prevent German influence in Afghanistan during the Second World War

Germany had been interesting in Afghanistan during the XXth century, in particular since in the mid1930s. Germany considered Afghanistan, firstly, as a region of influence, and, secondly, as a possible
springboard against Great Britain and the USSR.
To achieve these goals, the Germans promised to help in the return of the native Pashtun lands and in
getting rid of British and Russian influence in the region. They inspired the Afghans with the idea of the
need to reunite the Pashtun tribes on both sides of the "Durand line".
As a result, a significant part of the Afghan elite began to support the Germans.
In addition, the Germans actively invested in the Afghan industry, the number of German specialists in
Afghanistan increased. By the beginning of World War II, the Third Reich was able to create a fairly solid
political and economic base in Afghanistan.
The Soviet and British diplomacy actively opposed this activity. The day after the attack on the USSR,
British diplomats visited the Soviet embassy and offered to join forces in the fight against German
influence.
This information allowed Stalin to put before the British ambassador the question of concluding an
agreement on joint actions against Germany, which was signed on July 12, 1941