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During World War II and the Cold War, Afghanistan remained neutral, and caught the attention of both the Soviet Union and the
United States, as both countries competed for building rights to Afghanistan's highways and airports.
The late 1960s brought many western travelers to Afghanistan's newly built infrastructure, as many began using the highways as part of the hippie trail.
In 1973, Daoud Khan organized a coup against King Zahir Shah, becoming Afghanistan's first President.
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December of 1979. Through the 1980s this brutal war with Russia caused over a million Afghanis to lose their lives, and when the Russians withdrew in 1989, they subsequently left the country in a turmoil of refugees and poverty.
Internal fighting continued between varied mujahidin factions, giving rise to a state of warlordism that eventually spawned the Taliban. Their brutal control and social oppression ended when U.S. and allied military forces invaded the country shortly after the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
Two days before September 11, 2001, Ahmad Shah Massoud, an Afghan war hero responsible for leading troops in driving the Soviets out of Afghanistan, was assassinated by suicide bombers.
Even with the new government and the recent democratic election, Afghanistan's future is still very uncertain, especially with America's continuing war on terrorism, and its battles with the remaining followers of Usama (Osama) Bin Laden.
Travel to Afghanistan is strongly discouraged as the ability of Afghan authorities to maintain order and ensure the security of citizens and visitors is limited.
