The forts of 'Russian Fear'

In the 1870s, New Zealand, being a young self-governing colony of Great Britain, lacked developed coastal defensive structures and became increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of its harbors to potential attacks from hostile powers or random raiders. Fears of an invasion by the expanding Russian Empire were widespread, especially after the establishment of the Russian Pacific port in Vladivostok.

In 1873, a false news article in the New Zealand newspaper Daily Southern claimed that a war had supposedly begun between Russia and England. The article stated that a Russian warship had entered the port of Auckland, attacked an English vessel, and captured high-ranking officials. This publication caused panic in the country, and combined with Russia's declaration of war on Turkey a few years later, prompted the government to create a system of coastal fortifications. As a result of the 'fear of the Russians,' seventeen forts equipped with modern weaponry were built in New Zealand.