The Great Game: British and Russian Competition over Central Asia in the mid-19th century

JOINT CRISIS COMMITTEE

Roulette. Baccarat. Blackjack. The struggle for hegemony in Central Asia. What do they all have in common? They are games of risk, chance, and deception, and the stakes are exceptionally high. Throughout the beginning and middle of the 19th century, the British and Russian empires competed for control of South and Central Asia. Russia was a revisionist power seeking to build a vast Asian empire. Britain was willing to risk it all to maintain the “jewel in the crown” of its empire, India. Afghanistan and Persia found themselves squarely in the middle of these two great powers, serving as buffer states that both Britain and Russia sought to influence and control. The events within this committee will determine the future of Central Asia and the overall balance of power among colonial empires. There will be military confrontation, espionage, subterfuge, and political maneuvering. Let the Great Game begin.