As Gobineau saw it, the growing power and aggressiveness of Russia were a cause for concern. He regarded the disaster suffered by the British during the retreat from Kabul in the first war with Afghanistan in 1842 as a sign Russia would be the dominant power in Asia, writing: "England, an aging nation, is defending its livelihood and its existence. Russia, a youthful nation, is following its path towards the power that it must surely gain ...