1. Afghanistan The unconquerable

2. A Divided State Afghanistan is a country of mountains and deserts. The culture is tribal, each valley has been ruled independently for centuries, by chieftains or “warlords” The Persians, Greeks, Mongols, Turks, British, and Russians all tried and failed to rule it. Only once did even a native power unify it.

3. The Great Game Both Russia and the United Kingdom (the British) tried to make Afghanistan a colony during the 1800s They competed with each other. Though eventually the British “won” they never could control Afghanistan because of its divided nature

4. A Kingdom In 1919 the British gave up and it became a Kingdom The Kingdom lasted for two generation and ended in 1973, and it became a republic. In 1978 a communist regime seized power and was supported by the Soviet Union. A Muslim freedom movement fought back…supported by the US War devastated the country for 10 years

5. The Taliban In 1989 the Soviet Union gave up. War raged between moderates and the Taliban a fundamentalist Muslim movement. In 1992 the Taliban won. It rules according to Sharia (Islamic) Law and local conservative values They allowed almost no religious or intellectual freedom Women lost their rights