During the last years of the cold war, the soviet union sent some of its most elite troops to unfamiliar lands in central asia to fight a vaguely defined. In 1988, the soviet army left afghanistan after a concerted campaign by the westernbacked mujahideen. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the. The conflict had its origins in the 1978 coup that overthrew afghan president sardar muhammad daud khan, who had come to power by ousting the king in 1973. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. Kennedy school of government, from 1995 to 1997, subsequently. The war was fought between the afghan government which was supported by the soviets and a group of afghan rebels known as the mujahideen. The following day, the soviet motorized divisions from turkestan and the fergana valley rolled into afghanistan, launching the invasion.
A soviet tank in the hindu kush mountains of afghanistan during the soviet invasion, 1980. Then, in 1987, he goes to afghanistan to take part in the struggle against the russians. Jan 12, 2017 in 1979, soviet troops entered afghanistan and for the next decade the ussr was mired in a conflict that eventually caused the country to unravel. Oct 10, 2006 the first official deployment of the soviet army into the kingdom of afghanistan began dec. President trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists.
In december 1979, in the midst of the cold war, the soviet 40th army invaded afghanistan in order to prop up the communist government of the peoples democratic party of afghanistan against a growing insurgency. Afghan civilians stand in the foreground troopers of the 5th airborne company 350th airborne regiment on the march, moving aboard their bmps and btrs along the afghani mountain road. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an immediate increase in the presence of foreign. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in. How did the soviet invasion of afghanistan impact the cold. The soviet afghan war raged for about nine years during the 1980s and took place exclusively in afghanistan. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground.
The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an immediate increase in the presence of. But from some sources ive read, ive read that apparently the soviets were basically worse than the taliban. But since then, many enduring myths have grown up about the wartorn country. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters. Afghanistan is a mountainous landlocked country in central asia and middle east. Much like the roman empire, the ussr breakdown was due to an aggregate of factors, some internal, and some foreign. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. They bombed villages full of civilians, ran over civilians in tanks. The soviet war in afghanistan feifer, gregory on amazon. Afghanistans communist peoples democratic party seizes power in a coup but is split along ethnic lines and infighting begins. The role of soviet invasion of afghanistan in the breakdown of the ussr ezoza nomazova, faye o. The conflict is also known as the us war in afghanistan.
The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. Afghanistan was a ussr friendly nation and then when the iranians kicked the cia out of iran they started moving into afghanistan because they wanted spy bases in countries next to the soviet union. The september 11th sourcebooks national security archive. Information about the soviet war in afghanistan is extremely difficult for me to find. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the opposition,called the mujahedeen, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. At the time, the united states had been making headway in the middle east at moscows expense, successfully courting egy. Afghanistan war, 197892, conflict between anticommunist muslim afghan guerrillas mujahidin and afghan government and soviet forces. Oct, 2012 washington, dc, october, 2012 contrary to u. The first official deployment of the soviet army into the kingdom of afghanistan began dec. Sep 27, 2011 in 1988, the soviet army left afghanistan after a concerted campaign by the westernbacked mujahideen. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the foreign mercenaries, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. This is a provocative and important book, telling us what the soviet military.
A chronology of key events around the 1979 soviet invasion of afghanistan and the decadelong war it sparked. Herausgegeben im auftrag des auswartigen amts vom institut fur zeitgeschichte. The soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time since world war ii that organized soviet troops had been sent outside the bloc or cuba. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries. Its public aims were to dismantle alqaeda and deny it a safe base of operations in afghanistan by removing the taliban from power. Before the thunderous clamor of political debate or war set loose in the world, love insisted on its promise for the possibility of human unity. This caused the united states to renew their efforts to halt the communist expansion by supporting the afghan rebels in their efforts to expel the russians. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. Some of the best books out there about the wars in iraq and afghanistan score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
On of afghanistan introduction on december 27, 1979, under cover cf an ongoing soviet military buildup, heavilyarmed elements of a soviet. All doubt vanished over the next two days, however. He stressed that the invasion threatens peace through out the world and increases the potential of soviet expansion. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. Jun 28, 2008 predicting the soviet invasion of afghanistan.
President nur muhammed taraki speaks at a press conference in 1978. The soviets were invited in by the kabul government. At the time, the united states had been making headway in the middle east at moscows expense, successfully courting egypt. Russia was cooprating with afghans by helping them in making dams,industries,hospital as they helped india after 1947.
Prichard abstract the collapse of the soviet union in 1991 was one of the biggest historic events of xx century. The united kingdom was a key ally of the united states, offering support. In the recent past, during the 1980s, the central intelligence agency cia played a significant role in inserting u. Richard nortontaylor cowrote the play the great game. The implications of the soviet invasion of afghanistan could pose the most serious threat to the peace since the second world war.
Dec 20, 2019 on december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, and pakistan, making it a cold war proxy war. The intelligence communitys record douglas maceachin served as cias deputy director for intelligence from 1993 to 1995 during his thirtytwo year career at cia. The soviet afghanistan war was fought between afghanistan rebels called the mujahideen and the soviet supported afghanistan government. President carter condemned the recent invasion of afghanistan by soviet forces. As dilip hiro, in his 2002 book war without end, details the afghan air force. Jan 17, 2020 soviet violation of helsinki final act. Jan 01, 2009 this book in its own right and its own subject matter is an incredibly informative and easy to read book on the soviet involvement, invasion, and occupation of afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. The united states invasion of afghanistan occurred after the september 11 attacks in late 2001 and was supported by close us allies. What was it like to live in afghanistan before the soviet. During the cold war, the united states cultivated and promoted islamic extremism to counter leftist and communist forces in the region that threatened its b. Few pictures from every day life in kabul, afghanistan from 60s.
The vast majority of nations on earth have condemned this latest soviet attempt to extend its colonial domination of others and have demanded the immediate withdrawal of soviet troops. The invasion of afghanistan in 1979 was to kick the us out of afghanistan and to make sure they stayed out. Minutes of conversation between brezhnev and honecker, and andropovgromykoustinovponomarevs reports to brezhnev in the summer and fall of 1979 shed light on soviet thinking on wider geostrategic implications of the situation in afghanistan, the impact of the iranian revolution in the region, perceived u. Over the course of 1979, the soviets watched carefully as their client government in kabul lost control of more and more of afghanistan. Did many western communists justify the soviet invasion of. Popular afghanistan war books meet your next favorite book. The united states supported the afghanistan rebels in order to try and overthrow the communist government and to prevent the spread of communism. Between 562,000 and 2,000,000 civilians were killed and millions of afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to pakistan and iran. Archived document, may contain errors the soviet invas. Ksm, a pakistani who spent most of his childhood in kuwait, went to college at north carolina agricultural and technical state university in the us from 1983 to 1986. Soviet invasion to afghanistan december 1979 february 1989 american invasion to afghanistan october 2001 december 2014 out of a population of 15 million, 5 million left the country during the war as refugees to pakistan and iran. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. At the end of december 1979, soviet troops moved into afghanistan, setting off an international crisis. Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym.
The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan. Maceachin was an officer in residence at harvard universitys john f. The soviet invasion of afghanistan the heritage foundation. What extent was the soviet atrocities in afghanistan. Another source puts soviet dead between,833 and 26,000 killed total. Soviet invasion of afghanistan by sofia colmenares on prezi. Sep 10, 2011 the invasion of afghanistan and the imposition of a communist regime seemed to signal that the communists had not abandoned their dream of global conquest. Cia covert action worked through pakistani intelligence services to reach afghani rebel groups. On december 27, soviet spetznaz troops attacked amins home and killed him, installing babrak kamal as the new puppetleader of afghanistan.
Dec 23, 2004 the soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time since world war ii that organized soviet troops had been sent outside the bloc or cuba. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978 as midnight approached, the soviets organized a. The invasion of afghanistan and the imposition of a communist regime seemed to signal that the communists had not abandoned their dream of global conquest. The afghanistan area has been invaded many times in recorded history, but no invader has been able to control all of its regions at the same time, citation needed and at some point faced rebellion.