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First British invasion
British invade Afghanistan in order to create a buffer state between Russia and India, Britain's richest colony. British army - the strongest in the world at the time - leaaves in defeat. -
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Second British invasion
British controlled Afghan foreign affairs and left domestic control to Afghanis. British supplied Afghnaistan with guns and money to purchase protection. By 1880, British had achieved these objectives. This relationship stayed constant until 1919. -
British leave in defeat
Afghanistan defeats the British Army for the final time, leaving Afghanistan without foreign influence for a brief time. -
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Mohammed Zahir Shah rules Afghanistan
Mohammed Zahir Shah ascends to the throne in Afghanistan in 1933. He rules with his family for 40 years. During this time, the various ethnic groups in Afghanistan are left with a lot of freedom as long as they do not threaten the king and his family. -
PDPA formed
People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan - a communist political party - is formed. -
PDPA gains power
The PDPA gains power in a peaceful coup. However, the party's stance against Islam (99% of Afghanistan is Muslim) and against the preexisting structures in the ethnic groups immediately creates hostility among the Afghan citizens. -
USA aid to mujahedeen begins
US beings to aid anti-communit mujahedeen in their struggle against the PDPA. Aid is also given with the hope that it will entice the USSR to invade Afghanistan to keep the PDPA in power. -
USSR invades Afghanistan
Soviet troops invade Afghanistan with the goal of keeping the communist PDPA in power. -
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Funding to the mujahedeen
Foreign funding for the mujahedeen increases: the US, along with Saudi Arabia and China, funnels money and guns to the mujahedeen through the Inter Servicex Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan. This is the beginning of overt Pakistani manipulation of Afghanistan. -
USSR troops withdraw from Afghanistan
Soviet troops leave Afghanistan in defeat having been unable to successfully defeat the mujahedeen. -
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Afghan Civil War
With the withdrawal of Soviet troops, slowly the mujahedeen begins to turn against themselves in the struggle for power in Afghanistan. -
PDPA loses power in Afghanistan
Without the backing of Soviet troops, the PDPA keeps power in Afghanistan for a little more than two years before using power in 1992. Afghanistan descends further into a civil war. -
9/11 attacks
al Qaeda executes the 9/11 attacks on the US. The Taliban had allowed al Qaeda to exist in Afghanistan in return for providing security for the Taliban. -
US invasion of Afghanistan
After the Taliban refuses to hand over members of al Qaeda, the US launches an invasion of Afghanistan. US troops remain in Afghanistan to this day. -
Hamid Karzai appointed president
With the fall of the Taliban, Hamid Karzai is appointed president of Afghanistan with the promise of elections for president in 2004. -
Karzai elected president
Karzai is elected president in the first democratic elections in Afghanistan's history. He is re-elected in 2009.