See also: 1915 in Afghanistan, other events of 1916, and 1917 in Afghanistan.
The amir maintains his neutrality in World War I, and the state does not become involved in the troubles of Persia. At the end of the year information is published concerning a German mission sent to Afghanistan in the previous year. It appears that Kaiser Wilhelm has sent a German officer, Lieut. Werner Otto von Hentig, accompanied by certain Indian revolutionaries who resided in Berlin, on a mission to the amir, with the object of inducing him to attack India. The members of the mission succeeded in making their way through Persia, by breaking up into small parties, and they remained in Afghanistan nearly a year. Nevertheless, the amir refused the Turco-German proposals, and after the mission left Afghanistan in May 1916, some of the members were captured by the Russians and British as they were trying to get back to Turkey.