The current war in Afghanistan is but the latest for a land that has seen nearly constant warfare throughout its history. This course will examine in depth four conflicts fought in Afghanistan (and Pakistan): Alexander the Great's conquests, the British attempts to subdue the Pashtuns, the Soviet battle with the mujahidin, and the fight against the Taliban and al-Qa'ida since 9/11. Themes that we will explore include invasion and conquest (how does one know that territory is "conquered"?); resistance and insurgency in the Afghanistan context; tribalism and ethnicity (concentrating on the Pashtuns); and counterinsurgencies in theory and practice in Afghanistan.