Sep 18, 2001 afghanistans islamic taliban militia, which today controls nearly all of afghanistan, is also harboring fugitive terrorism suspect osama bin laden. How was the united states effected by the results of the sovietafghan war. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war. The sovietafghan war lasted over nine years, from december 1979 to february 1989. The war in afghanistan and its effects on the soviet economy. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Jerusalem post informative and well written, sir rodric braithwaites afgantsy is an invaluable book to russians but even more so to americans, who are repeating most of the same mistakes in afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. List of books and articles about women in afghanistan. Hasan ali karasar september 20 this thesis claims that there are other factors, apart from the soviet aggression, which are equally important in clarifying the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The making of a marine officer by nathaniel fick, war by sebastian.
The war was condemned by the united nations, the us pulled out of the salt treaty talks, and the us boycotted the 1980 olympic games in moscow. The origins of the soviet invasion offer lessons for a historychallenged mr. Afghanistan 1979 the war that changed the world youtube. Essay about americas involvement in the soviet afghan war 33 words pages. In the brutal nineyear conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 mujahideen fighters, 18,000 afghan troops, and 14,500 soviet soldiers. Describe how the soviet afghan war effected the people of afghanistan. It was fought over nine years, from december 1979 to february 1989, mostly in the afghan countryside. Americas involvement in the soviet afghan war the worst case scenario for the united states in the late 70s and early 80s was the threat of the soviet invasion of iran and subsequent control of the saudi oil fields. Almost 15,000 soviets died in the war, while an estimated number of one million afghanis perished.
Steve coll ends his important book on afghanistan by quoting afghan president hamid karzai. As a result, soviet citizens quickly began to turn against the communist government as well. The last days of the american republic, which make up his blowback trilogy, and his last book dismantling the empire. The soviet war in afghanistan was one of the final events that led to the collapse of the ussr. During the last years of the cold war, the soviet union sent some of its most elite troops to unfamiliar lands in central asia. Reagan, gorbachev and bush at the end of the cold war. Afghanistan, as a result of the war, entered a state of civil instability, which still continues into present day. The soviet invasion of afghanistan in december 1979 remains a.
Understanding that the soviet unions troublesome economic and international situation was complicated by its involvement in the afghan war, gorbachev had decided to seek a withdrawal from afghanistan and had won the support of the politburo to do so by october 1985 193. Jan 01, 2009 the soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. The soviet union was supposed to be a society of true democracy, but in many ways it was no less repressive than the czarist autocracy that preceded it. Yet, tilly does not explain the etiology of the breakdown. The politburo sessions of january 17 and 28, 1980 carried extensive discussions of the situation in afghanistan. However, a portion of the forces that we were funding mujahidin soldiers of afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. Apr 08, 2008 after 10 years of fruitless fighting where little was accomplished, the soviet union decided to pull out in 1989. Arnold wrote this book at the point in time when the war reached the point of stalemate. Jan 12, 2017 7 things you probably didnt know about the soviet war in afghanistan. As a result, 15,000 soviet people were killed and 37,000 wounded. By the end of 1990, the entire eastern bloc had collapsed in the wake of democratic revolutions.
Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th. Sometimes referred to as the soviets version of the vietnam war, the soviet war in afghanistan ended up being a losing battle for the soviet union, and in many ways, accelerated the dissolution of communism in the east. Aug 04, 2014 in the brutal nineyear conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 mujahideen fighters, 18,000 afghan troops, and 14,500 soviet soldiers. The united states provided the mujahideen with stinger missiles. To defeat the ussr and isolate iran, the us has designed an agenda to mobilize muslims worldwide in a holy war against the soviet union and to contain iran through reenforcing of the sunnishiite divide. It began as a logistical network to support muslims fighting against the soviet union during the afghan war and transformed into the active. Violence of the most murderous, indiscriminate, and terrible kind started this afghan war. Brezhnev was concerned about this growth of islamic fundamentalism and wanted to show the 30 million muslims that there would be no changes to the way the soviet union was runthe soviets saw fundamentalism as a great threat to the soviet system.
Usled invasion of kuwait during the gulf war in 1991 o iraq had invaded kuwait and us led invasion to liberate kuwait. Most important is the pakistani version, written by the. The author makes only vague references to the effects of the occupation on the. Some stirredup muslims or the liberation of central europe and the end of the cold war. The kite runner by khaled hosseini, one bullet away. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned. While the kite runner, is an excellent book that describes parts of the soviet afghan war id recommend reading it for fun if you havent. Describe how the sovietafghan war effected the people of afghanistan. The british raj also came to an end and british crown colony of india was. Fighting in afghanistan continued, with the afghan government under the leadership of president mohammad najibullah launching attacks against the rebels without international support. As a result of the war, soviets were in billions of dollars of debt, which severely weakened the ussr. He first tried to increase soviet troops to end the war quickly.
At the end of each section, grau offers editors comments to explain and draw. The hidden war by borovik is a very good account of experiences and morale or lack of units during the war, written by what would now be called an embedded reporter. A study in the use of force in soviet foreign policy. The soviet war in afghanistan was a nineyear proxy war during the cold war involving the soviet union, supporting the marxistleninist government of the democratic republic of afghanistan 15 against the afghan mujahideen guerrilla movement and foreign arabafghan volunteers. How to end the war in afghanistan by david miliband. He gives an in depth analysis of why the stalemate occurred, and how this war mimics the.
The soviet vietnam by tamarov is a photographic record of one soldiers tour in the war, mainly personal images but some great pictures of equipment. Chalmers johnsons books include blowback, the sorrows of empire, and nemesis. The war ends when mikhail gorbachev became leader of the soviet union he wanted the war to end. Lyakhovsky and other authors report that at the same time, the top soviet military and political leadership held secret deliberations on the possibility of early withdrawal of soviet forces from afghanistan.
Understanding war in afghanistan is an excellent book for journeyman students of afghanistan. In one such interview, ryan crocker, former us ambassador to afghanistan, tried to articulate the pakistani thinking. 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. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned dave shunk. Soviets bombed villages in rural areas which resulted in the death of many innocent women and children.
The longterm impact of the invasion and subsequent war was profound. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war. The result of the soviet invasion, war and years of neglect that followed lead to the attacks of 911 and many terrorists attacks all over the world. In 1989, with mounting international pressure and military losses against the afghan rebels, the soviet union withdrew from afghanistan, ending the soviet afghan war. The mujahideen received unofficial military andor financial support from a variety of countries. They are parachuted into pakistan and eventually end up in afghanistan, chased by the soviets. Russia and afghanistan institute for the study of war. Not only does it give them a summary of afghanistan s colorful geography and history, but it also presents an uptodate picture of where the war is heading and an informed discussion of the range of choice for afghanistan and its allies. In the book shantaram by gregory david roberts, he describes his experiences fighting with the mujahideen in afghanistan. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a.
In the end, the mujahideen prevailed and the soviet army was forced to withdraw from afghanistan in february 1989, having lost tens of thousands killed and. From 1967 to 1973, johnson, a tomdispatch regular, served as a consultant to the cias office of national estimates. Soviet intervention was preceded by a series of political upheavals in 1970s afghanistan that supplanted the old monarchy that enjoyed only loose allegiance of various tribespeople in the rural periphery and, eventually, by the end of the decade, left a band of communist revolutionaries in nominal charge of the country, with little effective control beyond a handful of cities. The route to progress depends on recognizing the centrality of politics to issues of war and peace. Also important is milt beardens two books on the war.
Baumann when on 2425 december 1979 soviet forces invaded afghanistan, they intended to conduct a neat, surgical intervention to. For the fulfillment of the welfare of the country and its people, it worked very efficiently. Briefing book on the soviet intervention in afghanistan. The final days of the soviet union by plokhy, prof. The afghan conflict allowed the west to turn the tables on the soviet. 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. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. The war against the soviets was a crusade, which was revived by the us to deter soviet interests in afghanistan and the middle east. Get an answer for describe the key features of the soviet invasion of afghanistan. By doing so, they manage to eliminate rivals to power when the war is over. This proved to be a pivotal juncture in afghanistans development as a cold war battlefield.
Apr 23, 2012 afghanistan, as a result of the war, entered a state of civil instability, which still continues into present day. Next, we outline the role of the afghanistan war in the break. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. Admittedly, at the beginning of his recent book on the sovietafghan conflict. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. Soviet invasion of afghanistan 1979 flashcards quizlet. Effects of afghanistan war on soviet society and policy, international journal of social economics. After 10 years of fruitless fighting where little was accomplished, the soviet union decided to pull out in 1989. Andrew exum recommends the best books for understanding the war in afghanistan. On december 24, 1973, stephenie meyer, author of the twilight novels. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. Most of these taliban are socalled moderates who support an end to the war.
At the end of december 1979, the soviet union sent thousands of troops into afghanistan and immediately assumed complete military and political control of kabul and large portions of the country. The soviet side of the war has long been neglected but finally received attention from gregory feifer in the great gamble. The soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the. Trump as he negotiates an end to the united states own war in afghanistan, now 17 years old. Dec 12, 2006 a former soviet soldier lives among afghans when the last soviet general left afghanistan in 1989, he declared that none of his soldiers were left behind. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Braithwaites book is a fascinating story, not only of politics and war, but about the individuals who served in afghanistan. The result would be a war that the soviet union wishes it never got involved in and likened to their vietnam war, meaning winning a number of battles but not the war like what happened to the u. Also check the movie charlie wilsons war for the actual newsreel and documentary footage cut in as the action scenes. 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, mostly in the rural countryside. The major miscalculation by us in its afghan war pakistan. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad.
As nato troops move toward their final withdrawal this year, afghans worry about what will come next, and russian involvement in neighboring. Oct 10, 2006 the afghan civil war despite the geneva accords and the withdrawal of soviet forces, civil war continued in afghanistan as the mujahadeen continued to fight the government of soviet backed najibullah. He did not dare to describe the earlier politburo decision to invade afghanistan as a. Near the end of the sovietafghan war in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, the radical mujaheddin heavily funded by the cia and saudi arabia kill moderate afghans by the thousands. Foreign mujahidin would take shelter in rural areas and villages. The us does not object or limit funding because of this.
The sovietafghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Now the same isi is pushing these freed taliban to renew their contacts and discuss peace. Anthony arnold provides a rightwing overview of the american perspective on the afghanistan war. Critics of soviet and afghan government forces describe their effect on.
What is more, the rebels often had limited commitment to the cause. 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 afghanistan until midfebruary 1989. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Amins government became dependent on soviet military, equipment and advisers. The sovietafghan war had an important impact in popular culture in the west, due to its scope.
For an extended period since the end of the cold war, the status and safety of women in afghanistan have been considered under tremendous threat due to an influx of puritanical religious ideology and patriarchal tribal culture. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan. By vast i am referring to the ability of russia soviet union to construct trade logistics from t. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, invasion of afghanistan in late december 1979 by troops from the soviet union. The soviet afghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. Apr 18, 2017 politically, the afghans won the war, effectively ending the vast political influence and economic influx of russia soviet union into south east asia.
Jun 28, 2008 in july 1973, afghanistans former prime minister, sadar mohammed daoud, seized control of the government with the backing of soviet trained afghan military officers and a moscownurtured afghan communist political faction. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the. How a superpower fought and lost is a professional study of the drawnout conflict. Alqaeda, broadbased militant islamist organization founded by osama bin laden in the late 1980s. The soviet invasion of afghanistan in december 1979 was roundly. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. This war eventually led to the collapse of the soviet union. As a result, russian officers decided to take a much closer look at the red armys. Politically, the afghans won the war, effectively ending the vast political influence and economic influx of russia soviet union into south east asia. At the end i felt as though i had read a textbook, and not a riveting account of war through the eyes of those present. The us has repeatedly misdiagnosed the war in afghanistan. Robert young peltons, the worlds most dangerous places.
Sovietafghan war wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Because the soviet union failed in securing afghanistan from the rebels for such a long period of time, the war is sometimes referred to as the soviet unions vietnam war. Part of the cold war, it was fought between soviet led afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen. In his enlightening and refreshing book, largely based on russian.
Soviet war in afghanistan project gutenberg selfpublishing. The background of the war, outcome of the war, and impact on the united states are key to understanding the soviet afghan war. Pakistan did this by creating the taliban and helping it to take over the country. Former soldier, andrew exum, tells us about flawed policy, unhappy outcomes and what could and should have been different. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war ali ahmad jalali. Bearden was the cia chief of station in islamabad at the end of the jihad. The background of the war, outcome of the war, and impact on the united states are key to understanding the sovietafghan war. The soviet war in afghanistan was a nineyear proxy war during the cold war involving the soviet union, supporting the marxistleninist government of the democratic republic of afghanistan 15 against the afghan mujahideen guerrilla movement and foreign arab afghan volunteers. The collapse of the ussr meant that the united states was in the dominant position as the only superpower and because it no longer needed to worry about soviet reactions to their foreign policies. Soviet invasion of afghanistan useful notes tv tropes. As a consequence, afghanistan, through officially neutral in the cold war, drew. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan 1989 national security. He argued that the root of the taliban problem goes back to president h. The russians in afghanistan 197989 and millions of other books are available for.
The soviet afghan war was a severe challenge for both soviet and afghan people, who were real victims of the communist regime and were forced by their governments to take part in this horrible war. Print joseph collins explores the relations between the soviet union and afghanistan, and how the manipulation of those relations by both parties led to the crippling of the soviet union. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist. The soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989. Americans might find this a convenient way to ignore what their government did in afghanistan between 1979 and the present, but luck had nothing to do with it. The war caused 50,000 soviet casualties and loss of pieces of equipment and 450 aircrafts.
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