What will I learn about: why Afghanistan's rich history of resisting foreign empires, from the British to the Soviets, set the stage for America's longest armed conflict?

Understand why Afghanistan's rich history of resisting foreign empires, from the British to the Soviets, set the stage for America's longest armed conflict.

What will I learn about: how the rapid initial success of Operation Enduring Freedom fostered a wildly optimistic belief that just 5,000 US troops could stabilize the nation?

Discover how the rapid initial success of Operation Enduring Freedom fostered a wildly optimistic belief that just 5,000 US troops could stabilize the nation.

What will I learn about: Learn how deadly military blunders, rising civilian casualties, and ignored intelligence warnings allowed the Taliban to regroup and launch a devastating 2006 counter-offensive?

Learn how deadly military blunders, rising civilian casualties, and ignored intelligence warnings allowed the Taliban to regroup and launch a devastating 2006 counter-offensive.

What will I learn about: Explore the deep ethnic dynamics and geographic complexities—from Pashtun dominance to the strategic importance of Kandahar—that complicated the 20-year occupation?

Explore the deep ethnic dynamics and geographic complexities—from Pashtun dominance to the strategic importance of Kandahar—that complicated the 20-year occupation.

What will I learn about: Trace the political and strategic evolution of the war across four US presidential administrations, ultimately culminating in the chaotic military withdrawal of August 2021?

Trace the political and strategic evolution of the war across four US presidential administrations, ultimately culminating in the chaotic military withdrawal of August 2021.

The American War in Afghanistan

A History

Carter Malkasian

★ 3.9 / 5(128 ratings)

Start ListeningDownload QR code that opens AudiobookHub on the App Store

Try free on iPhoneScan to start in 5 seconds

Categories:

Politics History

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that a single cultural factor may have been more powerful than the entire U.S. military budget in determining the outcome of the war?
💡Have you ever wondered why the world's most advanced military struggled for twenty years to defeat a vastly outgunned insurgency?
💡Are you curious about the specific strategic missteps and missed opportunities that turned a swift initial victory into America’s longest conflict?

Listen to The American War in Afghanistan — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from The American War in Afghanistan

✓Understand why Afghanistan's rich history of resisting foreign empires, from the British to the Soviets, set the stage for America's longest armed conflict.
✓Discover how the rapid initial success of Operation Enduring Freedom fostered a wildly optimistic belief that just 5,000 US troops could stabilize the nation.
✓Learn how deadly military blunders, rising civilian casualties, and ignored intelligence warnings allowed the Taliban to regroup and launch a devastating 2006 counter-offensive.
✓Explore the deep ethnic dynamics and geographic complexities—from Pashtun dominance to the strategic importance of Kandahar—that complicated the 20-year occupation.
✓Trace the political and strategic evolution of the war across four US presidential administrations, ultimately culminating in the chaotic military withdrawal of August 2021.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from The American War in Afghanistan

Mind Map

The American War in Afghanistan

Historical Context+

Initial Invasion (2001)+

Taliban Resurgence (2002-2006)+

The Two-Front Quagmire (2006-2008)+

The Obama Surge (2009-2012)+

Internal Afghan Struggles (2012-2015)+

Drawdown and Collapse (2015-2021)+

Core Legacy+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

Why did initial negotiations between the United States and the Taliban break down shortly after the 9/11 attacks?

A. The Taliban completely denied that the 9/11 attacks had occurred.
B. The Taliban offered to hand Osama bin Laden over to a third-party country instead of the US.
C. The US demanded that the Taliban surrender control of Kabul to the Northern Alliance.
D. Osama bin Laden had already been captured by Pakistani forces, making negotiations moot.

Question 2 of 8

What major factor contributed to the success of the Taliban's 2006 counter-offensive in the southern provinces?

A. The Bush administration ignored warnings and redirected crucial resources to the war in Iraq.
B. The Taliban received massive direct military intervention and air support from the Soviet Union.
C. Hamid Karzai publicly endorsed the Taliban's shadow government in Kandahar.
D. The US military completely withdrew all its troops from Afghanistan in 2005.

Question 3 of 8

How did the eastern front of the Afghan War differ significantly from the southern theater?

A. The eastern front was primarily an urban conflict centered entirely within the capital city of Kabul.
B. The eastern front was highly coherent with clear battle lines and unified enemy forces.
C. The eastern front featured a harsh mountainous environment and a diverse array of independent militant groups.
D. The eastern front was completely pacified by the Afghan national police without any US assistance.

Question 4 of 8

What was the primary objective of President Obama's 'Surge' strategy in Afghanistan?

A. To completely eradicate the Taliban and permanently occupy the southern provinces.
B. To disrupt the Taliban's advance and stabilize the country long enough to hand control to the Afghan government.
C. To transition the US military's focus entirely to hunting down the remnants of al-Qa'eda in Pakistan.
D. To force the immediate resignation of Hamid Karzai and install a new coalition government.

Question 5 of 8

Why did the Andar people of Ghazni Province launch an armed uprising against the Taliban in 2012?

A. They were heavily bribed by the CIA to act as a proxy force in central Afghanistan.
B. They were attempting to seize control of the region's lucrative illegal poppy trade.
C. They wanted to establish a secular, Western-style democracy in their province.
D. They were defending their Sufi religious practices against the Taliban's strict Islamic laws.

Question 6 of 8

What was a major consequence of the power-sharing agreement brokered by the US after the 2014 Afghan presidential election?

A. It created a highly effective, centralized state that quickly eliminated regional corruption.
B. It resulted in a shaky, divided unity government that kept the state in perpetual gridlock.
C. It led to the immediate surrender of the Taliban, who recognized the new government's legitimacy.
D. It allowed Hamid Karzai to serve a third term as president with expanded emergency powers.

Question 7 of 8

According to the text, what was a primary reason for the low morale and high desertion rates in the Afghan military, such as during the fall of Kunduz?

A. Most soldiers felt the military was just a paycheck and lacked strong allegiance to a government that hadn't improved their lives.
B. The soldiers were ideologically aligned with the Islamic State and refused to fight the Taliban.
C. The US military strictly forbade Afghan troops from carrying loaded weapons during joint combat operations.
D. The Afghan government intentionally defunded the military to pay off national debts to neighboring countries.

Question 8 of 8

What were the core terms of the 2020 Doha Agreement signed between the US and the Taliban?

A. The Taliban agreed to share power with the Afghan government in exchange for US financial aid.
B. The US agreed to completely withdraw in 14 months if the Taliban pledged to discourage terror groups from attacking the US.
C. The Taliban agreed to surrender all weapons if the US promised to rebuild Kabul's infrastructure.
D. The US agreed to leave Afghanistan immediately, and the Taliban agreed to help the US fight the Islamic State.