Afghanistan History

“The Graveyard of Empires”

 Origins

Throughout time, a number of empires have run through

Afghanistan. Alexander the Great. Mahmud of Ghazni.
Genghis Khan.

None held it for long.

 British Occupation

The first empire in the modern age to enter Afghanistan

was the British.

They fought three wars with the Afghans in the 19th

century during a time called “The Great Game.”
Independence (for a while)

After World War I, an exhausted British force

lost to the Afghans in the 3rd war of “The
Great Game.”

Soon after, Afghanistan becomes a monarchy

and has a relatively stable 40 year stretch
under the Shahs (the last Shah is to the right)
from 1933-1973

In 1973, the kingdom is overthrown and a

general, Daoud Khan, declares himself
president and forms close ties to the Soviet
Union.
 Soviet Control

In 1978 Khan is killed in a communist coup.

The new government is consumed with fighting so in 1979 the

Soviets invade to “bolster” the communist government.

At the same time, the Mujahideen form. They are a guerrilla

army made up of conservative Islamic and ethnic leaders; they
begin to fight the Soviets and…
 Civil War

In the 1980s, the battle between

the Soviets/communist
government and the Mujahideen
becomes a full civil war.

Millions of Afghans flee while

Islamic extremist fighters
(including Bin Laden) enter.

The U.S. funds, trains, and provides

weapons to the Mujahideen.
The End of One War/Start of
Another

The Soviet Union finally leaves in 1989, when it begins to

fall apart.

A power vacuum is left; this is eventually filled by The

Taliban, a new Sunni, Extremist militia.

The Taliban government invites extremist Islamic groups

to stay in Afghanistan. With the Soviet Union gone, many
of these groups turn their attention to the U.S.

This continues until 2001…