Can U.S. Forces Lean from Mistakes Made by British during First and Second Anglo-Afghan Wars in the 19th Century?
Abstract
The United States is making similar errors the British executed in their campaigns over a century ago. There are military and government lessons from those conflicts the United States can learn from and apply in the current Afghanistan conflict today. Discussion: The U.S. and allied nations have been engaged in Afghanistan for over nine years. The British were deeply involved in Afghanistan during the 19th century, fighting two wars with the Afghans. The British and Americans had similar motivations. The British wanted to prevent Russia from expanding its territorial boundaries into Afghan territory, while the Americans wanted to eliminate Taliban influence and AI Qaeda forces within Afghanistan's borders. Both countries realized that maintaining a stable Afghanistan is harder than taking control of the country. The British tried to use a military solution during both campaigns and fought the insurgent (not the insurgency). They also bribed various tribal leaders for their loyalty, which did not always work.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA600832
Entities
People
- Brian P. Mcdermott
Organizations
- Marine Corps University