America’s War in Afghanistan
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | 5:00pm-6:00pm
Details:
The war in Afghanistan was America’s longest, stretching from 2001 to 2021.
Why did the United States engage in such a large-scale military commitment? Did U.S. forces occupy Afghanistan to capture Osama bin Laden, defeat the Taliban, transform Afghan society, or for some other reason? Was Afghanistan truly the “Graveyard of Empires,” a place that outsiders had no real chance of transforming? Could smart American leadership succeed there, despite many challenges? How did the Taliban prevail even though they constituted a minority of the Afghan population? Why did the government of Afghanistan collapse suddenly in 2021?
Toplin will consider the war’s significance in history and draw some conclusions that challenge popular assumptions.
Bob Toplin (Robert Brent Toplin) is a professor of History. After retiring from full-time teaching at other universities, he taught classes at UVA. Toplin has published a dozen books and more than 200 articles and has commented on history, film, and politics in several nationally broadcast television programs.
Presented by The United Nations Association of the USA - Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter.
Open to all.
Location:
The Center