Conflicted: A History Podcast
Untangling history’s greatest controversies. Every month, we take a hard look at the historical conflicts that raise difficult questions, stoke controversy, and send our moral compasses spinning.
Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 1
When Soviet Russia invaded Afghanistan in December of 1979, few could have imagined what a seismic impact it would have on the modern world. In an attempt to prop up a wobbly client regime, the Soviets sparked a transnational jihad, inflamed Cold War tensions, and hastened the downfall of their own empire. Often referred to as “Russia’s Vietnam”, the Soviet-Afghan War is an overlooked, deeply misunderstood, and immensely important conflict. In this first installment of a multi-part series, we will explore how the Soviets found themselves ensnared in the “graveyard of empires”, through the eyes of the everyday people who experienced it firsthand.
SOURCES:
Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan. 2019.
Ansari, Mir Tamim. Games Without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan. 2012.
Barfield, Thomas. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. 2010.
Borovik, Artyom. The Hidden War. 1990.
Braithewaite, Rodric. Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-1989. 2011.
Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to 2001. 2004.
Dobbs, Michael. Down with Big Brother: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. 1997.
Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan. 2009.
Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-89. 2012.
Galeotti, Mark. Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz Seize Kabul. 2021.
Grau, Lester W. The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics In Afghanistan. 1996.
Hosdon, Peregrine. Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan. 1986.
Kalinovsky, Artemy. A Long Goodbye: The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan. 2011.
Kaplan, Robert D. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2001.
Rosen, Ethan. The Bear, The Dragon, & the AK-47. 2017.
Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History of Afghanistan from Alexander the Great to the War Against the Taliban. 2009.
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Podcast Episodes
Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 3
As the CIA wages a covert proxy war against the Soviet 40th Army, the Mujahideen are showered with billions of dollars and cutting-edge weaponry. An old animosity between two prominent Mujahideen commanders – Ahmed Shah…
Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 2
The Soviet 40th Army invaded Afghanistan in the closing days of 1979. They would not leave for another nine years. Exhausted and frustrated by their inability to decisively crush the elusive freedom fighters in the mount…
Curse of the Koh-I-Noor Diamond
The infamous Koh-I-Noor diamond currently sits in the Tower of London among the crown jewels of the British monarchy, but its bloody, eon-spanning journey began in the riverbeds of ancient India. Cut, coveted, and stolen…
Kill Yamamoto: The Mission to Avenge Pearl Harbor - Part 2
After the Battle of Midway, the Japanese Navy is in tatters and Yamamoto’s hopes of a quick victory against the United States have evaporated. He has no choice but to fight a war he knows Japan will lose. Tom Lanphier, R…
Kill Yamamoto: The Mission To Avenge Pearl Harbor - Part 1
In 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the most hated man in America. As the architect of Japan’s December 7th surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States military decided Yamamoto had to die by any means necessary…
Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 3
Civil war has torn the Caliphate apart. In 656 AD, Aisha marches with an army at her back. Ali, newly crowned as Caliph, has no choice but to oppose her. Muawiya sees an opportunity to grab power and start a dynasty of h…
Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 2
The Prophet is dead. In 632 AD, the armies of Islam explode out of Arabia, led by a series of aggressive new Caliphs. The Prophet’s young widow Aisha struggles to understand her new role as “Mother of the Faithful”. Mean…
Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 1
When the Prophet Muhammed died in 632 AD, it triggered a succession crisis amongst his followers. After the dust settled, two divergent branches of the faith remained – Sunni and Shi’a. It is a deeply misunderstood story…
The Kitchen Cartel: Pure Food & Drug Act 1906
Fake coffee. Rotten meat. Poison milk. This is the story of a few good men and their bitter fight to make America’s food supply safe. Hounded by enemies and discredited at every turn, a handful of scientists and activist…
The Third Temple: Yom Kippur War Part 2
Tank battles, Cold War politics, and nuclear alerts. This is the epic conclusion of a two-part series on the Yom Kippur War. On October 6th, 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a brilliant surprise attack on the nation of Israe…
