The Soviet Union's Lengthy Occupation Of Afghanistan: A Historical Overview

The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan lasted for approximately nine years, from December 1979 to February 1989. It began when the Soviet Union sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan, taking control of Kabul and large portions of the country. This invasion was an attempt to subdue the Afghan civil war and maintain a friendly, socialist government on its border. The occupation resulted in a brutal civil war that cost the lives of an estimated 1 million civilians and approximately 14,500 Soviet soldiers. It also contributed significantly to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.

The invasion began on Christmas Eve 1979, with the Soviets air-dropping elite troops into principal Afghan cities

On Christmas Eve 1979, the Soviet Union began its invasion of Afghanistan by air-dropping elite troops into principal Afghan cities. The invasion was the culmination of growing Soviet domination in the region, which dated back to 1973. Within days, the Soviets had secured Kabul, deploying a special assault unit against the Tajberg Palace.

The invasion began with a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. The Soviets also infiltrated the Afghan presidential palace, poisoning the president and his ministers, and installing a new puppet leader, Babrak Karmal.

The invasion triggered a brutal, nine-year civil war and contributed significantly to the USSR's collapse. The Soviets were met with fierce resistance from resistance fighters, called mujahidin, who saw the atheist Soviets controlling Afghanistan as a defilement of Islam and their traditional culture. The mujahidin employed guerrilla tactics, attacking and raiding quickly before disappearing into the mountains.

The war resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees. The conflict also claimed the lives of 14,500 Soviet soldiers, with a further 15,000 Soviet soldiers killed in Pakistan airspace.

The Soviets aimed to uphold the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978

The Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978 was signed on December 5, 1978, by Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and Afghan Prime Minister Noor Mohammed Taraki. It was a 20-year "treaty of friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation", which pledged mutual economic, military and technical aid.

The treaty was signed in an effort to uphold the unpopular pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan. The Soviets had been working to establish close relations with their neighbour since the 1950s, providing economic aid and military assistance. However, in April 1978, members of the Afghan Communist Party overthrew and murdered President Sardar Mohammed Daoud. Nur Mohammed Taraki, head of the Communist Party, took over and declared one-party rule in Afghanistan. The regime was extremely unpopular with many Afghans, so the Soviets sought to bolster it with the December 1978 treaty.

The treaty established a 20-year period of "friendship and cooperation" between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. It increased economic assistance and continued military cooperation. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev declared that the treaty marked a "qualitatively new character" of relations between the two nations.

However, the treaty did not have the desired effect. Taraki was overthrown and killed by members of the Afghan Communist Party in September 1979. In December, Soviet troops moved into Afghanistan and established a regime more amenable to Russian desires. This marked the beginning of a 10-year war, which has been described as 'Russia's Vietnam', with the country sending thousands of troops and spending millions.

The invasion was the first Soviet military expedition beyond the Eastern Bloc since World War II

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which began on December 24, 1979, was the first Soviet military expedition beyond the Eastern Bloc since World War II. The invasion was a watershed event of the Cold War, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc.

The invasion was a strategic decision met with nearly worldwide condemnation. It was the culmination of growing Soviet domination going back to 1973, when Mohammed Daoud, the former Afghan Prime Minister, launched a successful coup against King Zahir. Daoud's coup was dependent on pro-Soviet military and political factions, and he enjoyed the support of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), founded in 1965 upon Marxist ideology and allegiance to Moscow.

The PDPA split into two factions: the Parchamists, led by Babrak Karmal, and the Khalqis, led by Noor Taraki. In April 1978, soldiers aligned with the Khalq faction assaulted the presidential palace, executing Daoud and his family. Taraki became the Prime Minister, but his regime was met with internal resistance, and by the winter of 1978, his communist revolution was met with armed revolt throughout the country.

Taraki travelled to Moscow to sign a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union, which included a provision that would allow direct Soviet military assistance should the Islamic insurgency threaten the regime. This insurrection intensified over the next year, and by mid-1979, the Soviets were searching for a replacement for Taraki. They dispatched combat troops to Bagram Air Base outside of Kabul, and in August, a high-ranking Soviet military delegation arrived in Kabul to assess the situation.

In October 1979, forces loyal to Taraki's deputy, Hafizullah Amin, executed Taraki. This move infuriated Moscow, which began amassing combat units along its border. On Christmas Eve, the Soviets organised a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. Within a few days, the Soviets had secured Kabul, deploying a special assault unit against the Tajberg Palace. Elements of the Afghan army loyal to Amin put up fierce resistance, but Amin was killed, and Karmal, the exiled leader of the Parcham faction, was installed as Afghanistan's new head of government.

The invasion triggered a brutal nine-year civil war and contributed significantly to the USSR's collapse. It wreaked havoc not only on Afghanistan but also on the Soviet Union, whose economy and national prestige took a severe drubbing. The military misadventure would contribute significantly to the USSR's collapse and breakup.

The Soviets wanted to maintain a friendly and socialist government on their border

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, occupying the country until February 1989. The invasion was a watershed moment in the Cold War, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc. The Soviets wanted to maintain a friendly and socialist government on their border, and their invasion was motivated by several factors.

Firstly, Afghanistan held long-standing strategic importance for the Soviet Union. Since the 19th century, Afghanistan had been a pawn in "The Great Game" between the Tsarist Russian and British empires. The Soviets wanted to maintain influence in the region and prevent American influence from growing. They were also concerned about the possibility of a hostile Islamic government taking control in Afghanistan, which could threaten Soviet interests and spark similar moves in adjacent states.

Secondly, the Soviet Union wanted to uphold the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that once a country became socialist, Moscow would never allow it to return to the capitalist camp. The Soviet Union had supported the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) in their rise to power, and the invasion was an attempt to prop up their faltering client state.

Finally, the Soviet Union feared growing US involvement in Afghanistan. They believed that the unstable Afghan government under Hafizullah Amin could lead to increased American influence in the region, which would threaten Soviet interests. The Soviets saw their invasion as a preemptive strike to prevent this from happening.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan triggered a brutal civil war and had significant consequences. It led to the deaths of approximately 1 million civilians and 125,000 combatants. It also contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as the war caused severe economic and national prestige losses for the USSR.

The Soviets struggled to lock in Afghan allegiance

Secondly, the Soviets feared growing US involvement in Afghanistan. Top Politburo members warned Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev that Hafizullah Amin, the Afghan Prime Minister, sought to pursue a more "balanced policy" and that the US detected "the possibility of a change in the political line of Afghanistan". The Soviets believed that Amin's ruthless but unstable regime would create weaknesses that the US could exploit.

Thirdly, the Soviets wanted to uphold the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that all socialist regimes had a responsibility to uphold others, using military force if necessary. Failing to act in Afghanistan might call into question the Soviet willingness to uphold other regimes on its side of the Iron Curtain.

Finally, the Soviets were concerned about exacerbating the USSR's "nationalities problem". Any dissent or shift in alliance from Afghans posed the risk of sparking similar moves in adjacent states like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, which shared ethnic identity, religion, and history with Afghanistan.

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