The Year Episode 8: John Morris’s Indian Holiday

170 years ago in 1839 Britain invaded Afghanistan commencing the 1st Anglo Afghan war. 100 years ago, on 6th May 1919 the third Anglo-Afghan war began, which led to the Afghans finally gaining independence and control of their foreign policy. 40 years ago the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan ending that era of independence. 17 years ago the US invaded Afghanistan. In that time the US has suffered 2,734 deaths as compared to an estimated 150,000 Afghan dead- civilians, government forces, and insurgents. The war and the deaths are ongoing… Afghanistan’s 170 year history of major powers intervening/invading in their country is ongoing…

 

This month’s instalment of THE YEAR podcast is about an English officer, Captain John Morris, a victoria cross awarded front line officer fresh from the trenches of the Western Front in World War One, and his first day at war on the North Western Front (now boarder between Pakistan and Afghanistan).