The Soviet-Afghan War: A Decade Of Conflict And Resistance

Afghanistan has a long history of domination by foreign conquerors and strife among internally warring factions. In the 1970s, the country was invaded by the Soviet Union, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc. The invasion was a watershed event of the Cold War and was met with worldwide condemnation.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan began in December 1979, when 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 invasion was an attempt by Moscow to subdue the Afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border.

The war was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Soviet-controlled Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. The conflict was a major event of the Cold War as it saw extensive fighting between the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the Soviet Union and allied paramilitary groups against the Afghan mujahideen and their allied foreign fighters. The mujahideen were backed by various countries and organisations, including Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

The war resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees. The Soviet Union's aerial power was used to deal harshly with both Afghan resistance and civilians, levelling villages to deny safe haven to the mujahideen, destroying vital irrigation ditches and other scorched-earth tactics. The war caused grave destruction throughout Afghanistan and has been cited by scholars as a significant factor that contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, formally ending the Cold War.

The Soviet-Afghan War

The war began in 1979, when the Soviets, under the command of Leonid Brezhnev, invaded Afghanistan to support the local pro-Soviet government that had been installed during Operation Storm-333. The invasion was met with worldwide condemnation, and numerous sanctions and embargoes were imposed on the Soviet Union by the international community. The Soviets occupied Afghanistan's major cities and communication arteries, while the mujahideen waged guerrilla warfare in the rugged, mountainous countryside. The Soviets used aerial power to deal with both Afghan resistance and civilians, levelling villages and destroying irrigation ditches.

The Soviet government had initially planned to swiftly secure Afghanistan's towns and road networks, stabilise the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) government, and withdraw all military forces within six months to a year. However, they were met with fierce resistance from Afghan guerrillas and experienced operational difficulties in the mountainous terrain. By the mid-1980s, the Soviet military presence in Afghanistan had increased to approximately 115,000 troops, and the war effort gradually inflicted a high cost on the Soviet Union as military, economic, and political resources became exhausted.

In mid-1987, reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced the Soviet military would begin a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan. The final wave of disengagement was initiated on 15 May 1988, and on 15 February 1989, the last Soviet military column occupying Afghanistan crossed into the Uzbek SSR. The Soviet-Afghan War resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, and millions more fled the country as refugees. The war is thought to have contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, formally ending the Cold War.

The Saur Revolution

The PDPA's uprising resulted in the creation of a socialist Afghan government closely aligned with the Soviet Union. The revolution was ordered by PDPA member Hafizullah Amin, who would become a significant figure in the revolutionary Afghan government. The uprising involved heavy fighting throughout Afghanistan and resulted in the deaths of as many as 2,000 military personnel and civilians combined.

The revolution was initially welcomed by many people in Kabul, who were dissatisfied with the Daoud government. However, the PDPA's drastic reforms struck the socioeconomic tribal structure of rural Afghanistan, and the regime violently imposed its socialist programme. The PDPA's land reform was criticised as "confiscating land in a haphazard manner that enraged everyone, [benefiting] no one, and [causing] food production" to fall. The regime also alienated a wide variety of people, including tribal and clan leaders, Islamists, Maoists, Western-educated teachers, and traditional religious leaders.

The PDPA's repression and rising tensions prompted the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan in December 1979, citing the Brezhnev Doctrine as the basis of its military invasion. Insurgent groups fought Soviet troops and the PDPA government for more than nine years until the final withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989.

The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc. The invasion was a watershed event of the Cold War, and was met with worldwide condemnation.

The invasion began with an airlift of thousands of troops into Kabul, followed by the deployment of three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. The Soviets also sent a special assault unit to attack the Tajberg Palace, where President Hafizullah Amin was killed. Babrak Karmal, leader of the Parcham faction of the Marxist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), was installed as the new head of government.

The invasion was an attempt by Moscow to subdue the Afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border. The Soviets wanted to secure Afghanistan as an exemplar of the Brezhnev Doctrine, which held that once a country became socialist, Moscow would never permit it to return to the capitalist camp.

The invasion was met with fierce resistance from the mujahideen, who saw the atheist Soviets as a defilement of Islam and their traditional culture. The mujahideen employed guerrilla tactics, attacking and raiding quickly before disappearing into the mountains. The mujahideen were aided by the United States, who supplied them with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles.

The war turned in the mujahideen's favour with the introduction of the Stinger missiles, which allowed them to shoot down Soviet planes and helicopters. The Soviets suffered heavy losses, and in 1987, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev decided to withdraw. The last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan on 15 February 1989.

The invasion and subsequent war had a profound impact. The Soviets never recovered from the financial and public relations losses, which contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The war also created a breeding ground for terrorism and the rise of Osama bin Laden.

The Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the local pro-Soviet government that had been installed during Operation Storm-333. The invasion was also an attempt by Moscow to subdue the Afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border.

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 Soviets occupied Afghanistan's major cities and all main arteries of communication, while the mujahideen waged guerrilla warfare in small groups across the 80% of the country that was not subject to uncontested Soviet control. The mujahideen were backed by various countries and organisations, including Pakistan, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

The Soviet government had initially planned to swiftly secure Afghanistan's towns and road networks, stabilise the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) government, and withdraw all of their military forces within six months to a year. However, they were met with fierce resistance from Afghan guerrillas and experienced great operational difficulties on the rugged mountainous terrain.

The Soviet occupation provoked a great deal of fear and unrest amongst a wide spectrum of the Afghan populace. The Soviets held the view that their presence would be accepted after having rid Afghanistan of the "tyrannical" Khalq regime, but this was not to be. Attacks against Soviet soldiers in Kabul became common, with roaming soldiers often assassinated in the city in broad daylight by civilians.

The Soviet Union's withdrawal from Afghanistan

The Soviet-Afghan War was a major conflict of the Cold War, with extensive fighting between the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), the Soviet Union, and allied paramilitary groups against the Afghan mujahideen and their allied foreign fighters. The mujahideen were backed by various countries, including Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

The Soviet Union's decision to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan was influenced by several factors. Firstly, the war had become a quagmire, with the Soviet Union suffering significant casualties and economic costs. The war had also strained relations between the Soviet Union and the United States. Additionally, the Soviet leadership under Mikhail Gorbachev sought to improve relations with the West and focus on domestic reform. Gorbachev viewed the war as a "bleeding wound" and wanted to withdraw Soviet troops to improve the Soviet Union's international standing.

The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first phase lasted from May 15 to August 15, 1988, and the second phase began in January 1989 and ended on February 15, 1989. During the withdrawal, the Soviet Union handed over military bases and equipment to the Afghan military and negotiated local ceasefires with insurgent groups. The Soviet Union also provided massive economic, financial, and military aid to the Afghan government to help stabilize the country.

Despite the Soviet Union's withdrawal, the war in Afghanistan continued, with the mujahideen fighting against the Afghan government. The mujahideen received continued support from the United States, Pakistan, and other countries. The Afghan government, now without direct Soviet military support, struggled to maintain control and was eventually overthrown by the mujahideen in April 1992.

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