Days of Opportunity: The United States and Afghanistan Before the Soviet Invasion

Honorable Mention, 2025 Charles H. Norchi Prize, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Long before the 1979 Soviet invasion, the United States was closely concerned with Afghanistan. For much of the twentieth century, American diplomats, policy makers, businesspeople, and experts took part in the Afghan struggle to modernize, delivered vital aid, and involved themselves in Kabul’s conflicts with its neighbors. For their own part, many Afghans embraced the potential benefits of p...