War in Afghanistan

War in Afghanistan, or sometimes termed Afghan War, is the bane of many would-be conquerors and would-be peacemakers. The British had a conceit of "the Great Game", which involved pitting various countries against one another, especially in the Afghanistan area. The United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States all struggled there.

Warfare in Afghanistan has always been difficult to conclude besides by complete withdrawal. The nation's mountainous terrain and generally sparse population allows for guerilla warfare. Unlike some other mountainous nations, Afghanistan's location and routes through it have been considered strategic.

Wars included in the topic include:

• Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BCE – 327 BCE)
• Islamic conquest of Afghanistan (637–709)
• Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see Mongol invasion of Central Asia
• The Mughal Empire's various campaigns against the Persians for control of Afghanistan
• The collapse of the Mughal Empire led the Durranis to counter Indian and Persian aggression
• Anglo-Afghan Wars (First British involvement with Afghanistan):
  • First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42)
  • Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–81)
  • Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919)
• Panjdeh Incident (1885)
• Reforms of Amānullāh Khān and civil war (1929), civil war occurred when Habibullāh Kalakāni briefly overthrew the government and became emir
• War in Afghanistan (1978–present) (sometimes known as "Second Afghan Civil War"):
  • Saur Revolution (1978), Communist insurrection
  • Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979–1989), Soviet involvement
  • Civil war in Afghanistan (1989–92), collapse of the communist Najibullah government
  • Civil war in Afghanistan (1992–96), leads to the Taliban controlling most of Afghanistan, with the Northern Alliance controlling northern Afghanistan
  • Civil war in Afghanistan (1996–2001), Taliban period
  • War in Afghanistan (2001–14), the American-led invasion
  • War in Afghanistan (2015–present), Resolute Support (NATO-led) involvement

References