He succeeded his father, Dost Muhammad. During the early part of his reign Afghanistan experienced civil war and his authority was not confirmed until 1868, when he was given British assistance. Shere Ali introduced a number of reforms in Afghanistan including the establishment of a regular, European-style army. In 1878 he admitted a Russian mission to Kabul but refused to accept a British mission, resulting in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Shere Ali fled to northern Afghanistan seeking Russian support, and died.