14. The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979)
In December 1979, the Soviet Union intervened in Afghanistan to support its faltering communist government, leading to a protracted conflict with Afghan mujahideen fighters. This invasion mirrored earlier British attempts to control Afghanistan, notably the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842), which ended disastrously for the British. The Soviet intervention also set the stage for future U.S. involvement in the region, highlighting the challenges of foreign military engagement in Afghanistan’s complex terrain (via history.com).
