Description
The period in which it attempted to subjugate and firmly install its brand of communism in Afghanistan is often referred to as the Soviet Union’s Vietnam. This course will examine the decade long struggle, considering the role of such key players as the United States, Pakistan, the Soviets, and the American-backed mujahedeen who ultimately defeated and hastened the demise of a superpower. It will explain the Soviet invasion in the context of Afghanistan’s complex geography, tribalism, Muslim identity, and alliances. Lastly, it will discuss the Afghanistan that remained as the Soviets departed, piecing together the story of how Afghanistan became the haven for terrorism and extremism that provoked another superpower invasion just over a decade after the Soviet withdrawal. I hope that you will join us to discuss this crucial period of Afghan and global history.