Is Afghanistan Really the Graveyard of Empires? (Short Animated Documentary)

Afghanistan is sometimes referred to as the Graveyard of Empires but just how accurate is that reputation? To find out, watch this short and simple animated history documentary.
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[@HistoryMatters]

KZbin decided to include the last twenty seconds of the video this time. Which was nice of them.

[@TonyAnimatesStuff]

Lol

[@FilmSkylar]

Oh okay

[@LoLFlop]

Lol

[@sammybeaver9130]

KZbin, ruining my notifications 1 video at a time

[@vaclaurus3545]

Lol

[@the_potatoborn]

Well this aged very well, bless the algorithm's sense of humour

[@Azulakayes]

Yep, here just after the Taliban got into the presidential palace. Afghanistan was too hard for the US as well and NATO, I wonder if Russia will laugh at them during the next UNSC.

[@25fpslagger81]

"humor" yeah people get raped is humor

[@martinogbuigwe7813]

Cant really blame the US for this one. They spent 20 years training and arming the Afghans. I guess they didn’t want their freedom as badly as the US thought they did

[@thesauce1682]

@@25fpslagger81 Lmao, this guy think taliban rape woman. Rape in America is the same thing in Afghanistan.

[@naenae669]

@@thesauce1682 well America doesn't behead people.

[@rowengarcia3852]

He fixed it, who else remembered when the only supporter was James bisonette

[@zavionlingo7000]

I honestly thought he did it on purpose 😂

[@akaJughead]

I miss Partyboiko

[@O_Tade]

@@akaJughead what about Danny Melony?

[@tombblades]

I thought I was having deja vu but then I got to the end.

[@Pyrykala]

Those were the days

[@andrewg3196]

Perhaps it's more useful to see failed Afghanistan occupations as a symptom of a declining empire rather than a cause.

[@R4in46]

Exactly, an empire in its Peak would have no problem occupying Afghanistan

[@RADIT-ip3eq]

Perhaps

[@Magnulus76]

Bingo. Divided national policy lead to divided war effort, which ultimately doomed the American project in Afghanistan.

[@Osterochse]

considering the united states, I'd say that the withdrawal is a sign for the strength of the USA. The united states was smart enough to withdraw after 20 years and didn't fight until the end. They noticed that this is just a waste of time and money. In other words the USA always remained sane enough to not make decisions that would lead to their ultimate defeat. The USA lost a bit of her face because of Afghanistan. But ultimately it cuts its losses and keeps gong its way now. This is a clear sign that the USA will remain a superpower for probably the next 200 years. The opponents of the USA who watch this video will soon notice that the end of US-domination is very far away and you will have to deal with that.

[@user-pc7ef5sb6x]

@@Osterochse The Americans withdraw means the government is broke. Collapse is coming soon.

[@moinakbhattacharya878]

Actually it is very difficult to conquer a nation where the concept of "nation" is diminished. It is essentially a geographical area with a set of tribesmen living in their own terms.

[@amazingamx1255]

Now non-Afghans know more about Afghanistan that actual Afghan

[@moinakbhattacharya878]

@@amazingamx1255 I am not talking about Afghan food, the statements are specific to socio-political situation.

[@jakecommonty2042]

Nation is defined as: “a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.” Afghanistan fits into that category.

[@moinakbhattacharya878]

@@jakecommonty2042 And how many years the history should span? ummm... 50 years? 10 years? or 2000 years? When you time travel through history you will see everything in Afghanistan is different - in terms of every dimension you mentioned - descent, culture, language.

[@shonenjumpmagneto]

It's like telling Switzerland to defend the very idea of a country at the UN 100 Years from now when people wknder why states even exist... They'd be the 1st country to be inhabitable non-state territory if they could be. Always fascinated me how differently The Swiss see the concept of a country & the thought that by no means is 1 framework the only form they take

[@YourVintageStick]

It’s more like the soap bar of empires, you can’t keep a hold of it

[@ungusbungus2486]

That seems better

[@animalanimal7939]

Same for farts.

[@codymills2393]

Hahaha funny

[@funnyclips4550]

@@animalanimal7939 haha

[@mirzaaslam1878]

True

[@vladimiralexanderlagos1477]

Afghanistan is not the graveyard of empires, it is just the graveyard of imperial ideas of trying to make it into something else. The Persians tried to make it Persian, but didn't stick. The British tried to make it a happy commonwealth colony, but it didn't. The Soviets tried to make it into a communist utopia, but it didn't, and the Americans tried to make it into a capitalist democracy, which, fun fact... they didn't.

[@UnstoppableEmpire]

I mean it will be capitalist still.

[@game_developer_7382]

But this is the same as the cemetery of empires. For example, after the USSR-Afghan war, the USSR enters and splits. Why? Because all the countries occupied by the USSR saw the weakness of the USSR and all the countries decided to leave the USSR. And now the whole world does not trust the power of the USA as before because of the war lost in Afghanistan and this will cause big problems in the future and it has already appeared. Russia invaded Ukraine. Because Russia now looks down on America. And now that they see America's true weakness. The graveyard of empires does not mean that that empire is gone forever. In other words, because they could not reach their goals and for the Afghanistan they are dead and suffered heavy losses and fled from there. And these empires are cemeteries for Afghanistan. But these empires may exist outside Afghanistan, but they died in Afghanistan. I hope you understand what I mean.

[@Vivenk88]

@@game_developer_7382 The Greeks, the Mauryans, Mongols conquered Afghanistan and held it. In modern history, the British ruled Afghanistan too. Islamic empires invaded and established themselves in Afghanistan too (which is why Afghanistan is Islamic today).

[@marufkhelfaredkhan7670]

@Shah Lomyon mountain ⛰ for fight 💪 and also afghan always ready for fight 💪

[@Sakrya818]

@@Vivenk88 British never rule Afghanistan even in Second Afghan Anglo war.

[@tsarfox3462]

Famous last words: "This war will be quick and easy"

[@rune.theocracy]

"We'll be home by Christmas!"

[@tsarfox3462]

@@rune.theocracy See they never said which Christmas you'll be home for and in what state of being. That's how they get ya.

[@Roach18]

"You will be home before the leaves fall from the trees."

[@cringefairy2687]

I never thought that the "Graveyard of Empires" was called that because invading empires would collapse, but because because invading empires would suffer heavy, heavy losses while failing to conquer it.

[@localman7017]

Seems like that’s only true for the Brits and Ruskies. And for the Brits it’s not even really true since they only lost the first time and the second time they had no trouble conquering it and installing a puppet ruler. The Umayyads, Safavids, Mughals, Mongols, Seljuks, Achaemenids, etc. all did fine there. And not only did Alexander the Great conquer it, Greco-Bactria was also the last remnant of his empire to fall.

[@npc3758]

No Afganisthan suffered way more lose agaisnt pretty much every empire even US. It's not graveyard of empjre, it's itself a. Graveyard.

[@KashanA]

You guys are forgetting afghans only have AK 47, nowadays its much harder to fight without technology, the USSR suffered much more due to the technology being supplied to them by Americans.

[@LuisBrito-ly1ko]

@toki hiko Yeah, counting opium overdose and veteran suicides. How non-biased of you

[@thesmuggest6680]

@toki hiko the thing about the Taliban and every other terrorist group is, even when they're dead you wouldn't know if he was civilian or combatant.

[@roadhouse6999]

"It's been fairly easy to conquer, and has been conquered many times, but holding onto it is another matter entirely." If you look at the way the U.S.'s war in Afghanistan has evolved since 2001, that's all too true.

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

They now join the club of humiliation together with the brits and the russians. Who will be next in line to get shafted by mujahedin?

[@jome2284]

@@AlfaGiuliaQV Probably China, if they're really intent with their "Belt and Road Initiative". Otherwise terrorists will keep derailing Chinese ambitions to achieve continental hegemony over commerce and trade in Asia.

[@boomwizardyt7228]

@@jome2284 China really underestimating the power of Afghanistan war lords. They will fight until the bitter end

[@mirzahamzabaig5667]

@@jome2284 I believe they are using Afghans to complete their deals and making amends with Taliban as well...

[@haseebbek3300]

You can't control it

[@Stormchoirs]

Look at the events in Afghanistan today. History repeats itself.

[@rayh6118]

Waiting for the us to split into 12 different pieces

[@Stormchoirs]

@@rayh6118 that could actual be a good thing.

[@Dylan-bc2po]

@@Stormchoirs no it wouldn't.

[@sergeantsharkseant]

@@Dylan-bc2po well kinda One the one hand The US is bad on as it is very imperialistic on the other hand Russia and especially China are way worse

[@Dylan-bc2po]

@@sergeantsharkseant if we let USA balkanise we are all dead. Just saying. China will take Taiwan, massacre hong Kong, invade Vietnam. North Korea will invade the south. Russia will take Ukraine and the Baltics. Iran will clash with turkey. It would be chaos. Atleast with USA they won't do that, atleast not for a while.

[@ernestoglez6725]

"We sought physical attrition; our opponents aimed for our psychological exhaustion. In the process we lost sight of one of the cardinal maxims of guerrilla war: the guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win." - Henry Kissinger

[@randomobserver8168]

Kissinger probably understood that his maxim applies best to modern industrial states operating as popular democracies. And, to some extent, tottering tyrannies losing public consent. A surprisingly large number of societies historically have seen conventional armies sustain centuries of warfare against sporadically rebelling peoples.

[@dickmonkey-king1271]

Maybe western nations need to learn how to operate as guerrilla armies. You put US and UK special forces in the Afghanistan and you can cause huge problems for the Taliban without huge expense.

[@apollo1694]

The guerilla army loses if it doesn't pussy out in tunnels for 20 years not fighting

[@lalehiandeity1649]

@@dickmonkey-king1271 Western armies have proven to fundamentally underestimate the importance of stratagem over technology.

[@psychokinrazalon]

@@apollo1694 Do whatever it takes to win the war.

[@chrisg4305]

James Bisonette received the ransom and finally allowed HM to include the other sponsors

[@Diamondman164]

And now he will simply reinvest all the ransom back into HM as patronage

[@jamesbissonette8002]

It’s a vicious cycle

[@bread5460]

@@jamesbissonette8002 Holy shit, it’s James Bissonette

[@jlmc3447]

@@jamesbissonette8002 king

[@josephstalin133]

@@jamesbissonette8002 oh my goodness, it's the legend himself!

[@red_falcon]

Everybody knows James bisonette but everyone forgets Kelly moneymaker...

[@CallieMasters5000]

Spinning 3 Plates, Oink Oink and Copper Tone disagree.

[@ecurewitz]

well, she is nowhere near as memorable as James Bissonette

[@stevenchoza6391]

And Moe... I remember when his name was last and some about how HM said it was funny to me.

[@bernietea]

And Charles I

[@jonmcgee6987]

I see once again no mention of The Pastry Section.

[@cow_tools_]

Who's watching this again today, when America has officially lost (according to its long term goals), and the Taliban have taken full control.

[@ernestoglez6725]

The guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

I am, even Biden himself said that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires.

[@JonatasAdoM]

Their goals was to topple the regime and kill BL. They succeeded there. The long term goal was added later. This is like saying the US lost the Korea war because the North was not taken.

[@juanmola2000]

@@JonatasAdoM The regime they toppled has just got back into power, and the -organization I cant name so the comment isnt deleted- is still active and operating, just under new leadership that has been there from the beggining too... How on earth is that a sucess in any way?

[@antiochus87]

@@ernestoglez6725 No, you fail to understand, but so did the US. Or maybe they just didn't care about anything but how much they could squeeze from the country. There are more to wars that simply military. The US needed to establish a stable and trustworthy alternative that didn't appear like just a puppet. With all their money and apparent know-how they just funded warlords and encouraged corruption. Then they killed indiscriminately with drones and negotiated with the Taliban without involving the Afghan government. The Taliban leader who looks like he's going to take over was in a Pakistani prison until the Americans made them release him, to try to make the Taliban "partners in peace". Is it any surprise that the government lacked credibility and their enemies could recruit so easily? You could even say this is a "victory" for the US, as it was of their making. They just betrayed everyone and everything they supposedly stood for to achieve it. This will have worse repercussions than Vietnam.

[@27GT3]

Alexander the Great letter to his mother about Afghanistan: I am involved in the land of a Leonine' (lion-like) and brave people, where every foot of the ground is like a wall of steel, confronting my soldier. You have brought only one Alexander into the world, but every mother in this land has brought an Alexander in the world.

[@cliodeo]

Next episode: How James Bissonette's coup d'etat failed within a few hours.

[@makutas-v261]

"Well, kind of"

[@slewone4905]

All loyalist!!! We must rally for our Lord, Emperor James Bissonette. Duke of Spinnign three plates is trying to take over the empire.

[@beratopcu8474]

Who is James Bissonatte?

[@cliodeo]

@@beratopcu8474 HERESY!

[@beratopcu8474]

@@cliodeo what the hell is heresy?

[@lavaknight3682]

I’m disappointed, History Matters. James Bisonette was *clearly* in the right eating all the other patrons!

[@RodolfoGaming]

PRECISELY

[@leonardofranzinribeiro4220]

James bizonette will annex all other patreons, and later, humanity. All Will become James bizonette

[@Manuel-gu9ls]

In the end of the video it’s James Bisonette

[@mshaqed2538]

The Jamesian empire of Bissonettea will rise above the competition, and shall rule humanity using it's god emperor's endless fortune.

[@fleetwoodcraic4235]

Why doesn’t James Bisonette,the largest of the patrons,not simply eat the others?

[@simoneranieri5010]

Afghanistan: i'm the graveyard of empires Vietnam: *finally a good opponet*

[@seanbrummfield448]

Vietnam was under multiple empires. You can't claim them to be that.

[@funnyclips4550]

@@seanbrummfield448 afganistan also

[@seanbrummfield448]

@@funnyclips4550 Not really. At some points in history, Afghanistan, or at least their region has stood alone.

[@jerryeskridge4798]

1. The British Empire. 19th century 2. The Soviet Union. 20th century 3 The United States of America. 21st century.

[@ProjectEkerTest33]

Let's see if China want to have a go in 22nd century.

[@rayh6118]

@@ProjectEkerTest33 and iran 2300s

[@persimmon93]

It's kinda like "only an American can rule America." Only an Afghan can rule Afghanistan. Or at least a Muslim.

[@edwelndiobel1567]

Its just that Aphganistan just isnt that important. And the US got osama bin laden so the missions over. Still they shouldnt have bailed like a bunch of sheep running from a loud noise.

[@persimmon93]

@@edwelndiobel1567 so the US is suppose to stay for another 20 years?? Gtfo of here.

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem67]

You can tell it is the graveyard of empires when even History Matters was forced to take the video down about Afghanistan

[@azazel688]

Afghanistan comin in guns blazing.

[@matthewbadley5063]

Afghanistan to become graveyard of youtube channels?

[@EatMyShortsAU]

Yeah Britain, USSR and now the USA all got their asses handed to them after they invaded.

[@greenkoopa]

😂😂😂

[@jerikrazik4707]

USSR gor manhandled I guess they corrupted a generation with vodka (hadief) Britian conquered all afganistan for longer than Jerusalem was a kingdom and the USA had a 50 to one ratio in kills with the population suffering mightily when the terrorists took up spots in towns making each town push them to the mountains. to this day Afganistan stands free which shouldn't have happened due to all the factors against it. Also they lost like 20% of their population to migration and fled. The Germans in particular were so deadly they nearly killed the Drug trade making pakistan ask the US when the term of duty was the Germans would go home. Almost all of the Polish forces came home alive and the British accomplished all their objectives in a 1/3rd of the time. If we wage war for regime change know we will always go home, then how do we know if it succeeds. If the attacks dont make news and the regime stands...... so USA crushed Afganistan

[@O_Tade]

Only legends will remember that once James Bizonette became the only patreon

[@maniac7466]

ye man

[@Zantides]

I always quit at jame so didn't even notice the first time lmao.

[@Robert399]

Initially he was the only patron wasn't he?

[@sam08g16]

Well, he is the only patreon of our hearts

[@Blefiz]

@@Robert399 Nope, he was the only mentioned verbally, Christian S. Trenk was mentioned in written.

[@nickseebruch8720]

I'm addicted to this channel. It clicks with me. I appreciate the effort put into the research, the topics which are sometimes lesser known facts of history, the animated presentation, and of course, the humour. Great work History Matters!

[@morepower1415]

Now that US has withdrew in Afghanistan, let's put them in the list already.

[@Seriona1]

What does that even mean? All foreign nations have to withdraw unless the annex.

[@pleudumes]

In 40 years, China is going to invade Afeghanistan and the cycle repeats

[@thewolfofswingthat2035]

@@pleudumes china is more likely to pay their way out of everything

[@arijitmondal9637]

@alias moose it doesn't necessarily mean that US will fall like USSR. This much can happen in upcoming decades that the USA's conventional military prowess will be deeply suppressed by missile loving nations like china

[@jakobkristensensandvik5588]

@@Seriona1 They withdrew without having completed their goal or defeated the enemy.

[@patchworkfellow4262]

1:14 _“This war will be over by Christmas!”_ *Y’know, I feel like I’ve heard this before...*

[@gamer42go21]

Looooll

[@Wolfeson28]

In fairness, it would have been a new idea at the time. :)

[@user-bz1mz7su6r]

Enemy at the gates?

[@Lusitanean]

@@user-bz1mz7su6r French and German soldiers mobilizing for WWI.

[@joma5721]

@@Lusitanean and WWII

[@jlshel42]

"Over by Christmas": phrases from history that make me nervous

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

If you say,"the war will be over by Christmas" then it drags on longer. The more you say it, the more it drags on.

[@JonatasAdoM]

@@harrisonofcolorado8886 Same for "it won't go over budget"

[@imlivingunderyourbed7845]

@@JonatasAdoM "The unsinkable " Seriously, these phrases should just die already.

[@cyclonegames9215]

This video aged like a fine wine. God bless the algorithm.

[@federicomauri6208]

I try to understand if it's a good or a bad thing.

[@When_did_they_add_handles]

"Afghanistan is fairly easy to conquer, stop being weak" - History Matters

[@thetruth3405]

Easy to conquer But hard to hold

[@a.ortega4505]

U can't control a country but never their people

[@plummye005]

"We're sorry James, but Kellymoneymaker offered us a deal we simply couldn't refuse" - History Matters

[@sam08g16]

Also, Spinning Three Plates threatened to drop one of them

[@slewone4905]

So, it is Treason!!!!!

[@njb1126]

@@slewone4905 patreon will decide your fate...

[@cianseeck8917]

@@njb1126 I am the patreon

[@njb1126]

@@cianseeck8917 not yet

[@kiwisncream3778]

"But fun fact, no." best quote ever.

[@dusk6159]

Especially if used to confute and disprove a famed myth and cherry picked glory like the one of the ''tomb of empires'' when referring to Afghanistan even, of all countries.

[@warpcore9681]

The wit of a guillotine.

[@risannd]

It ages well.

[@Phonixrmf]

Britain ✅ Soviet ✅ USA ✅ Afghanistan (Republic) ✅ Afghanistan (Emirate) China Rusia WHO'S NEXT? YOU DECIDE!

[@DelPiero10x1991]

You forgot Alexander the Great and Genghis Kahn

[@mastermaseeh5949]

Afghanistan did not exist back then ​@@DelPiero10x1991

[@secret5816]

2:35 when the USSR collapses but there is no glass splintering sound - my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined

[@stulog]

From now on, when countries fall apart you should totally get a breaking-glass sound effect in there!

[@skeetrix5577]

laziness on full display

[@LowTiertoji]

@@skeetrix5577 how is it lazy

[@MrWaffle-]

Good

[@MonsieurDean]

(doesn't even watch video) Of course, no country stands a chance against the great state of West Virginia.

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

Lol. Afghanistan's panhandle is soo jarring, like both of west Virginia's

[@theemperororsomethingidont6897]

Damn looks like every history fan boy watches the same videos

[@doug814]

Go make a mars video. You know the one.....

[@Cybernaut551]

Indeed, not even the dead CSA.

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

As a current West Virginian there is another. Wyoming

[@JonatasAdoM]

Surprised youtube didn't put his on trending already. It will certainly start recommending it.

[@nitroraptor5316]

Me, realizing that the US just lost in Afghanistan: Aww shit, hear we go again

[@spinning_ice1487]

Nah, they didn't, they just withdrew because the 20 years is done.

[@nitroraptor5316]

Spinning_ice we absolutely lost, Biden is going to leave people behind, and we didn’t achieve our goal of eliminating the Taliban.

[@spinning_ice1487]

@@nitroraptor5316 Well yea, you're right. We fought for 20 years against the Taliban and nothing happened, but we didn't totally lose to the Taliban, we just withdrew because our 20 years is done.

[@lalehiandeity1649]

@@spinning_ice1487 Retreat is a defeat condition.

[@spinning_ice1487]

@@lalehiandeity1649 Do you even know why US helped Afghanistan?

[@relix7373]

Me an American: starts sweating

[@Real-1]

@عبدالرحمن yeah but he has private mercenaries there so it ain't changing anything

[@casper6405]

The Netherlands already left we knew it would be a lost cause

[@stc2828]

USSR collapsed 2 years after withdraw, so the clock is ticking.

[@JayConnor1989]

@@Real-1 they aint gonna do shit afghan troops are already surrendering to taliban rn

[@Kludgzenjammer]

@@Real-1 Preach the good word

[@piercepayumo4212]

America: (Begins the War on Terror.) (Years Later) America: (nervous) "Uh..."

[@thomasdavis4818]

Key words is years later. And at what cost. That is why those empires collapsed after invading or part of the reason. They just keep fighting and fighting and fighting and fighting, etc....

[@freshfrozen3035]

Laugh at America club, Based in Cambridge And Kabul

[@suspicioususer]

Sorry, American hemogeny is here to stay

[@Jay-qb9gi]

Sorry but America isn’t like other old empires, we will stay.

[@tameenhaque2285]

@@Jay-qb9gi For them opium and hashish.

[@dutchministryofdefence604]

this may need a update

[@gagandeepsinghgrewal6032]

Well now USA is added to the list as well(2023)

[@Quareque]

US still exist.

[@crimson6397]

@@Quareque Yeah and our influence is rapidly fading. China is expected to the be the world's next superpower. Time will tell if the "American Empire" will last.

[@TheGreatLiberator1209]

The Empire also has its own "Afghanistan", it's called Tatooine.

[@azazel688]

Yeah the landscape of Tatooine look pretty similar to that of Afghanistan, the deserts and mountains. Not sure about who the Taliban are though, the Jawas or the Tusken Raiders?

[@TheGreatLiberator1209]

@@azazel688 I can care less about Tatooine. It's located in the Outer Rim territories. Why bother? It'll be a waste of resources. Edit: About*

[@azazel688]

@@TheGreatLiberator1209 had the Empire left them alone, maybe the Tusken wouldn’t have been so hostile, they could just enjoy their endless deserts and brood on their banthas all day.

[@supremturtle4491]

Should’ve been the Death Star’s first target.

[@TheGreatLiberator1209]

@@supremturtle4491 agreed, it's a graveyard of it's own and a paradise for bandits and terrorists and other barbaric creatures. Tatooine should've been first, Alderaan second.

[@philipkornstein]

Your telling me James bissonette isn't the only patreon member?

[@nqh4393]

You're*

[@ehansalman8461]

@Big Guy Y’oure

[@The_Gerry_Man]

@@ehansalman8461 y'o'u'r'e

[@Shuja_Khyber]

@@The_Gerry_Man y͜͡o͜͡u͜͡’͜͡’͜͡r͜͡e͜͡

[@sam08g16]

@@Shuja_Khyber Yer'

[@aasimkhalid3754]

America: *sweats anxiety*

[@thebestingame3197]

SEASON 1 : Bri'sh SEASON 2 : USSR SEASON 3 : UNCLE SAM SEASON 4 : CHI..?

[@violenceisfun991]

Nks

[@ashleyburns6752]

All empires die from within, outside factors are important, but not the determining factor.

[@wannabedal-adx458]

KZbin: "I'll cut this video short so that Patrons do not get recognized!!" James Bisonette: "There can be ONLY ONE!!"

[@Blue5wirl]

"Holding on to it was another matter entirely" could be the subtitle of any book about any empire.

[@samuel....986]

The KZbin recommended it to me right now damn

[@samuel....986]

...

[@appleslover]

More like *" the BACKyard of Empires "*

[@AshGamer007]

Hell yeah

[@firstnamelastname.7749]

Kinda true. It was the backyard of persian, indian, and other center asian empires

[@Nietabs]

a

[@grangermontag1824]

Nioce

[@eatinsomtin9984]

@@firstnamelastname.7749 indian? Indians never conqurered afghanistan lol. Its the opposite

[@WarriorPoet01]

I’ve never viewed the term “graveyard of empires” as the idea that empires collapsed due to failed military/political engagements in Afghanistan. Rather, to me it meant that this is where empires sent armies/soldiers to die.

[@cattysplat]

Afghanistan: "Don't try it empire, I have the high ground!" Empire: "You underestimate my power..." Narrator: "Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."

[@Mur76ad70]

Peace be upon you. Greetings from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from Afghanistan. Greetings to all of you. My message to the world. Who wants good relations with us, we Afghans are welcome. Or whoever wants to approach our country or occupy it, we will bury him there as we buried Britain, the Russians and America. We are a nation that loves death as you love life. Our nation, our religion, Islam is number one, our dignity, freedom and honor number two, so we are 40 years old fighting for the independence of our country and the freedom of our nation. No one plays with us Afghans because he will regret it

[@knightornstein5902]

Oh algorithm, for a bunch of code you sure have a sense of humor.

[@jeanlannes4375]

I would say Russia deserves the title of graveyard of empires more as it was Russia who ended Napoleons and Hitlers Empire

[@RodolfoGaming]

ehm more like Napoleon and Hitler shotthemselves in the foot by invading Russia when they didn't have to

[@alexjsj3313]

Don't forget King Charles the 7th of Sweden

[@sackeshi]

Only because Hitler split the troops Moscow would have fallen.

[@themouthofsauron7550]

The Mongols made pretty easy work of it. Poland and Napoleonic France both captured Moscow as well.

[@azazel688]

I don’t think it would be fair to call Russia a graveyard of empires because it was it’s own empire and quite a large one at that, hence why it wouldn’t really fit them very well.

[@joermnyc]

UK, and USSR: maybe we should leave Afghanistan be. USA: “We’re going in and we’ll be there for twenty years (at least)!

[@shadowlord1418]

We will leave when we win

[@Ancaryvan]

Then comes USA citizens selected Trump as President then RUIN EVERYTHING... Blessing Biden picking up pieces.

[@joermnyc]

@@shadowlord1418 and when exactly will that be? Face it, we lost when we invaded Iraq and diverted too much resources away from Afghanistan.

[@nera_kit4566]

@@joermnyc dude why even invade Afghanistan USA suck every he war is good

[@grondhero]

@@Ancaryvan Are you on drugs? That's the stupidest comment on this video.

[@rorronoazorro6107]

You doing an amazing job sir.. please continue

[@cadhiyemurshid9569]

who is here after taliban just seized KABUL and the US totally evacuated. surely Afghanistan yet again proved they are the graveyard of empires.

[@highcouncil1302]

Not really

[@operez6519]

Did you not watch the video or just posted for attention?

[@cow_tools_]

@@operez6519 It's the graveyard of Empires in that their dreams and soldiers go there to die for nothing, not necessarily that it causes the Empire to collapse.

[@operez6519]

@@cow_tools_ That can be said in just about anywhere where a war was lost

[@cow_tools_]

@@operez6519 In strategy game terms, 'Afghanistan' would be synonymous with 'Max Difficulty'.

[@812gingerable]

James Bizzonnette personally paid for the last 20 seconds to recognise his fellow patrons

[@PHONGNguyen-fz6pq]

Afganistan: graveyard of empires Vietnam: i can see

[@leptismagna9424]

So that means how much time left for USA?

[@deprogramm]

It won’t effect the USA just as it didn’t effect anyone

[@Dante.-]

Well Britain still exist

[@yep416]

the most helpful video for my homework project i have watched. thank youuu

[@FaStTurdle]

The way this man explains history is wonderful.

[@14thbattlegroupcommander]

Rome/byzantium: oh THEY are the graveyard of empires huh? Rome/byzantium: **pulls out commically large list** **clears throat** Macedon, seleucids, egypt, etruria, carthage, pontus, bosporan kingdom, epirus , parthia, palmyrian empire(rebels), gaulic empire(rebels)×2, huns(to some extent), bulgarian empire, vandal kingdom, gothic italy, sultanate of rum, latin empire

[@jreiland07]

The Byzantines are seriously an underrated empire considering their population center was at the confluence of three continents and they somehow managed to survive ten centuries.

[@alphagamer9505]

@@jreiland07 15 centuries, there is no such thing as a byzantine empire, that was the Roman empire

[@user-to2yk7jy6e]

@@alphagamer9505 Do you count it as a Roman until the 4th Crusade, or until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453? Because the ERE was roman absolutely for sure up until the 4th Crusade and it was debatable after the Palaiologos restoration.

[@akronym4439]

@@jreiland07 Byzantines saved Europe multiple times. Its a shame that the crusaders destroyed the capital...

[@14thbattlegroupcommander]

@@akronym4439 "why let the sacking of the greatest cristhian city get in the way of a good crusade"

[@keno1069]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

man this didn't age well, wait no it did

[@CallieMasters5000]

Yeah, but is Afghanistan the Empire of Graveyards? (Seriously, lots of people have been killed there.)

[@Chris14_]

don't

[@theanglo-lithuanian1768]

Its more like the graveyard of.... Pretty much everyone.

[@eatinsomtin9984]

@@theanglo-lithuanian1768 Lithuanians are very nice

[@markuskane7280]

Ooh, way to be edgy and have an original opinion

[@atalbarak2543]

While in fight with pakhtuns in arachosia (now kandahar) and said, I am involved in the land of leonine (lion-like) and brave people, where every foot of the ground is like a well of steel, confronting my soldiers. You have brought only one son into the world but everyone in this land can be called an Alexander. ​ "Alexander The Great" This is a letter Alexander himself wrote to his mother, you can check it in google too. here is a difference between invading and conquering. No one ever conquered it. It was allowed to rule their own area and make their own rules for giving some 🪙 or resources to the invaders. Alexander didn't lose the amount of the troops in his all campaigns than he lost just fighting Backtrians ( today's Pashtoon, Pakhtoon, Pathan, Batan....). . Same was with Mongol and other empires. It was left to rule as they wish and like.

[@itsblitz4437]

Glad you finally found a chance to cover the topic of Afghanistan.

[@ImJotaroKujo]

It’s a huge trap for superpowers 😂 For 21 years, the US has spent $2.26 trillion on this war. All for them to get fully encircled in 2 weeks.

[@antiochus87]

Imagine if instead they'd just divided that money between the Afghan population, or spent it on infrastructure. I seriously doubt it would have cost so much blood.

[@alexblackhills4752]

@@antiochus87 They did give money to the government, and infraestructure was built. The same is happening with Palestine and North Korea, the USA sends them help every year.

[@antiochus87]

@@alexblackhills4752 Where do you think most of that money actually went though? As for North Korea and Palestine, those are two totally different situations so not comparable in how directly connected the US was/is involved.

[@alexblackhills4752]

@@antiochus87 Where the money goes is not America's responsibility. The fact is America and other Western countries have been helping other nations for some time. People just don't know about it because the leaders of these nations don't want to give credit to the West. The Taliban themselves refused help from the UN in 1900's and let over 100.000 people starve to death.

[@antiochus87]

@@alexblackhills4752 So if you spend money on something, you don't care where it goes? Maybe this situation wouldn't have happened if the US did care more. Of course it's the US responsibility when the money goes towards bribes to warlords that undermine the supposed state they they claimed they were trying to build. In fact that's an ironic claim considering how in much of the world the US wields its economic clout as a club to batter critics in the Global South into submission, and forcing them to meet their demands to support the US' corporate interests. Lots of this money comes with demands attached. But we should also distinguish between countries that are occupied and countries that are at least nominally independent. As for the Taliban, I assume you mean the 1990s. That is in line with what I'd expect from them, but I wouldn't include the now-deceased US-supported Afghan government or Palestine (occupied by Israel) with the likes of Taliban Afghanistan or North Korea.

[@gayfroggo]

Thanks youtube reccomendations, very cool

[@jadilzoca4971]

I've seen this one this one is a classic

[@jakecommonty2042]

Shut up.

[@anttibjorklund1869]

@@jakecommonty2042 Stop being rude.

[@nickmcgargill6216]

*"I am the Channel."* -James Bissonnette Any form of opposition to his supremacy is treason then.

[@njb1126]

KZbin: in the name of patreon and all its HM channel members your wealth is confiscated mr bissonette James: are you threatening me KZbin? YT: history matters will decide your fate James: I AM HISTORY MATTERS YT: Not yet James: it’s treason then...

[@corv3007]

@@njb1126 James:"pulls out credit card"

[@njb1126]

@@corv3007 money talks

[@TheBuckeyeHistoryGuy1776]

0:10 😐 Well…….. it’s was a good 240yr run

[@kaizersolze]

Can't wait for the update to this one...

[@thommunistmanifesto]

1:44 The dude on the left lost his arm

[@LOrco_]

Only the OGs will remember the first upload of this video

[@akiamini4006]

Real nice explanations thanks

[@ahmedahm1]

Add the US of A please to this animation.

[@Reymon_Of_Reymega_life]

And NATO

[@LahtariFIN]

A bit suprised to see an animated version of the Finnish painting "The Wounded Angel" by Hugo Simberg there at the end. Having been independent for only a 100 years, we are a bit lacking in the "famous historical painters" -departement. When asked about historical figures in Finnish culture, Sibelius is usually the only one foreigners are able to mention. But well done, and your animated version does the original painting justice :)

[@RealGestumblindi]

Well, I'm a foreigner (Swiss), and off the top of my head, I can at least mention Sibelius, Mannerheim, Paavo Nurmi, and Alvar Aalto. Oh, and some other composers than Sibelius, such as Kaija Saariaho, Kalevi Aho, or Aulis Sallinen, but that's probably not typical for a Swiss, I'm just particularly interested in classical music :-)

[@abdullahabu6439]

I love the breaking glass sound effect everytime he mentions the fall of Empires

[@rcfrantzen7290]

Love the graph of "Success over Time"!!

[@notfunnydidntlaugh4504]

I've already watched this, but the algorithm is... funny like that.

[@jm-dv7tl]

0:28 I know how large the Mongol Empire is but I just loved this part

[@arturkarpinski164]

Even Alexander the Great was humbled by that region, he took a wife there to make peace!!!!

[@funnyclips4550]

Plot twist:he invaded because he wanted a girl from that region

[@ismailsafi2755]

@@funnyclips4550 Did he win?

[@rameenaayan3248]

@@funnyclips4550 how to get a gf? Google: Tinder ad Bing: Invade Afghanistan

[@sowdha79]

@@rameenaayan3248 ok man that is seriously dark humour......

[@rajrathore2]

What about Chandragupta ?

[@philcollinson328]

I love the fast historical facts...but it's the expressions and signs of the cartoon characters make these vids very, very special.

[@randomstuff8149]

This aged well...

[@AlteryxGaming]

Reupload for the patreons at the end? Edit: Yup

[@carloscampo9119]

Every single History Matters video makes life better.

[@DeHeld8]

Let's hope, despite the explanation in this video, the US-Empire dies soon enough though. Maybe the PRC can then invade and then also have their empire die.

[@Koupip]

this entire video can be sumerised with the simple sentence "no one gets killed in a graveyard"

[@CG-yq2xy]

The answer to this question (in a paraphrased way) is sort of. Many empires did conquer the region but a close study of the place shows that this form of 'conquest' was basically paying/appointing a local representative to being their vassal and basically leaving them to their own affairs only to call on them in case of serious strife. That's what the Persians, Turkic empires and later on the British did; after the last ones learned the hard way. Any direct rule by foreigners resulted in well, you all know the Soviet and American experience. As far as I can recall only really two people broke that pattern, Alexander the Great (who married into the region) and the Mongols (who had to convert to Islam, after marrying into the region). So yeah.

[@atalbarak2543]

While in fight with pakhtuns in arachosia (now kandahar) and said, I am involved in the land of leonine (lion-like) and brave people, where every foot of the ground is like a well of steel, confronting my soldiers. You have brought only one son into the world but everyone in this land can be called an Alexander. ​ "Alexander The Great" This is a letter Alexander himself wrote to his mother, you can check it in google too. here is a difference between invading and conquering. No one ever conquered it. It was allowed to rule their own area and make their own rules for giving some 🪙 or resources to the invaders. Alexander didn't lose the amount of the troops in his all campaigns than he lost just fighting Backtrians ( today's Pashtoon, Pakhtoon, Pathan, Batan....). . Same was with Mongol and other empires. It was left to rule as they wish and like.

[@aksmex2576]

The British paid Afghanistan money to be it's protectorate. While Indian princes had to pay tribute to the British. That says alot. And after ww1 Afghanistan started a war to win it's independence off of Britain, which arguably hurt it because they lost alot of revenue and lost good relations with Britain which is fairly important, considering how large UK was after ww1.

[@LuisBrito-ly1ko]

The US didn’t want to directly rule Afghanistan. What the fuck 😂

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

@@LuisBrito-ly1ko we have a million bases over there.

[@kabulipalaulecker6928]

@@LuisBrito-ly1ko the soldiers acted arrogant you don't do that to an afghan without consequences.

[@TonyAnimatesStuff]

Reupload?

[@arandomperson3015]

We are going to need a updated version soon

[@kate1138]

I love your Gorbachev, very easy to identify :)

[@Numba003]

That sash at 1:18 is gold lol. Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends.😊

[@darthvader4977]

Real ones know that this is a re-upload.

[@njb1126]

Coming back to this I’ve enjoyed a series of lecture I found here on KZbin about Afghanistan by a professor named Thomas barfield

[@ericcarson4513]

Feels appropriate to rewatch this today.

[@jasonshoesmith467]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoys hearing the patreon shoutouts. I do though enjoy the history content

[@persononyoutube8666]

The reign of James Bizonette as the only Patreon is over, may the rest rise to the occasion!

[@safiullahshah4848]

It has not become graveyard of empires but Graveyard of its own people sadly...

[@dwillbecancelledsoon4086]

Any people that invent something like bacha bazi is hard to feel sorry for.

[@buckshot6481]

Fascinating sense of humor by YT !