| Description |
The course traces the great powers' struggle for control over the Middle East, as it affected Afghanistan. It begins with an introduction to the social and ethnic background, touching on the rise of the tribal Afghan kingdom in the 18th century. It will then focus on the rivalries between Russia and Britain in the 19th century ("the Great Game"), and on those between the Soviet Union and the US in the 20th. We will conclude by studying Washington's support in the 1980's for Islamist groups fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, its consequences, and the Taliban movement. |