ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the processes by which Afghanistan lost the status of 'the Switzerland of Asia', and explores the ramifications of these processes for Afghanistan's future prospects. It provides background on Afghanistan's complex social structure. The chapter examines the development of the Afghan 'state' as both a territorially-bounded unit and as a set of administrative structures. It explores the factors that led to the political crises of 1978-1979. The chapter outlines the course and the impact of the Soviet military presence in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It traces developments from the end of the Soviet presence in 1989 to the overthrow of the Taliban regime in November 2001. The Soviet invasion decisively transformed Afghanistan from a remote outpost to a key theatre of Cold War rivalry. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan created a deeply paradoxical political environment.
