The Great Game: Britain and Russia in Central Asia

The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History · Oct 7, 2026 · 7m · transcript

While Europe carved up Africa at the Berlin Conference, a quieter, more dangerous rivalry was unfolding across the steppes of Central Asia. This episode explores The Great Game, the nineteenth-century strategic confrontation between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for dominance over Afghanistan, Persia, and Tibet. We trace how Victorian fears of a Russian invasion of India drove British policy, leading to secret expeditions, spy networks, and proxy wars that reshaped the region's borders. You will meet figures like Sir Thomas Macgahan, who witnessed the brutality firsthand, and…