György József in the Turmoil of the Great War Tracing an Adventurous POW Career

Abstract

This study examines the unique career of József György, an Austro-Hungarian reserve lieutenant who, after being captured as a POW in Russia during WWI, became a key engineer for Emir Amanullah Khan’s modernization efforts in Afghanistan. The paper addresses his political allegiances, arguing for a likely collaboration with the Bolsheviks, and questions the reliability of his own memoir by revealing contradictions through source criticism. György’s microhistory offers insight into the complex fates of POWs in Central Asia and Afghanistan's turbulent path to modernity.