2001 – 2021
After the September 11 attacks, United States and allied forces joined Afghan opponents of the Taliban to destroy al-Qaeda’s base and remove the Taliban government. The mission expanded into counterinsurgency and state-building amid Afghan factional politics, corruption, civilian harm, insurgent sanctuary in Pakistan, and shifting international aims. The Taliban survived, regained territory, and took Kabul in August 2021 as foreign forces withdrew; estimates of direct deaths depend heavily on geographic and status definitions.
Chapter-by-chapter narrative with maps, primary sources, and key events.
Explore battles on a live map with a timeline slider and territory overlays.
Deep-dive into every major engagement — commanders, casualties, significance.
Biographical flip cards with real portraits, facts, and full biography pages.
Trace each figure's full life journey — birth, education, battles, and death — on a live map.
Scroll-driven visualization of casualties — each dot a thousand lives.
Weapons, war machines, and the military innovations that defined how this conflict was fought.
Cause-and-effect chains tracing the war's long shadow on history.
War crimes, massacres, and the darkest chapters of this conflict — documented for history.
After the September 11 attacks, United States and allied forces joined Afghan opponents of the Taliban to destroy al-Qaeda’s base and remove the Taliban government. The mission expanded into counterinsurgency and state-building amid Afghan factional politics, corruption, civilian harm, insurgent sanctuary in Pakistan, and shifting international aims. The Taliban survived, regained territory, and took Kabul in August 2021 as foreign forces withdrew; estimates of direct deaths depend heavily on geographic and status definitions.
War in Afghanistan was fought from 2001 to 2021.
War in Afghanistan was fought between US-led Coalition / Afghan Government and Taliban / Al-Qaeda.
An estimated 164,000 people died in War in Afghanistan, including roughly 117,000 military and 47,000 civilian deaths. Figures are scholarly estimates and vary by source.
Major engagements included September 11 Attacks, Fall and Recapture of Kunduz, Battle of Sangin, and Fall of Kabul.