The Soviet Union's Costly War In Afghanistan: A Historical Perspective

The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Soviet-controlled Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. On Christmas Eve 1979, the Soviet Union began an invasion of Afghanistan, its Central Asian neighbour to the south. The invasion triggered a brutal, nine-year civil war and contributed significantly to the USSR's later collapse. 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 war was a watershed event of the Cold War, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc.

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

On Christmas Eve 1979, the Soviet Union began its invasion of Afghanistan by air-dropping elite troops into principal Afghan cities. This was followed by the deployment of motorized divisions across the border. The invasion was led by the KGB, which had infiltrated the Afghan presidential palace, and resulted in the poisoning of the president and his ministers. The Soviets installed Babrak Karmal as a puppet leader, and the invasion triggered a brutal, nine-year-long civil war.

The invasion began with the air-dropping of elite troops into Afghan cities. The Soviets used transport aircraft to airlift troops into Kabul, with an estimated 280 planes and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each involved in the operation. The Soviets also deployed a special assault unit against the Tajbeg Palace, where they faced fierce but brief resistance from elements of the Afghan army loyal to Hafizullah Amin.

The invasion was a watershed event of the Cold War, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc. It was met with worldwide condemnation and led to the imposition of sanctions and embargoes on the Soviet Union by the international community. The United States, in particular, responded with a series of measures, including economic sanctions, a trade embargo, and a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The invasion was intended to support the local pro-Soviet government and prevent a hostile Islamic government from taking control. The Soviets aimed to secure Afghanistan as a socialist state and uphold the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that once a country became socialist, Moscow would never allow it to return to the capitalist camp. However, the invasion triggered a widespread rebellion, with insurgents known as the Mujahideen rising up against the government and the Soviets.

The Soviets initially sent in around 30,000 troops, but the number of Soviet forces in Afghanistan grew over time, eventually reaching approximately 100,000. The invasion resulted in heavy casualties, with an estimated one million civilians killed, along with 90,000 Mujahideen fighters, 18,000 Afghan troops, and 14,500 Soviet soldiers. The conflict also wreaked havoc on Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, causing severe damage to the economy and national prestige of both nations.

The Soviets aimed to prop up the new but faltering pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan to prop up the new but faltering pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan. The invasion was a response to the internal political instability in Afghanistan, which was threatening the pro-Soviet government.

The invasion was also a response to the growing influence of the United States in Afghanistan. The Soviets feared that the Afghan leaders would turn to the United States for help, which would allow the US to gain a foothold in the region.

The invasion was also a demonstration 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 also motivated by the Soviet Union's desire to maintain its influence in Central Asia and prevent the rise of religious fanaticism in the region, which could spread to the Soviet Union's Muslim-majority Central Asian Republics.

The invasion was also part of the Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union for global dominance. The Soviet Union wanted to prevent the United States from gaining influence in Afghanistan and the wider region.

The invasion was also driven by Afghanistan's strategic location, natural resources, and historical significance to the Soviet Union. Afghanistan provided the Soviet Union with access to the Indian Ocean and was rich in natural resources such as copper, iron ore, and gold.

The invasion was the first time the USSR had used its forces to invade a nation outside of the Eastern Bloc

The Soviet-Afghan War, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, was the first time the USSR used its forces to invade a nation outside of the Eastern Bloc. The invasion began on Christmas Eve 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 a watershed event of the Cold War, marking the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc.

The invasion was the culmination of growing Soviet domination going back to 1973. In the summer of 1973, Mohammed Daoud, the former Afghan Prime Minister, launched a successful coup against King Zahir. Although Daoud himself was more nationalist than socialist, his coup was dependent on pro-Soviet military and political factions. Since 1955, Moscow had provided military training and materiel to Afghanistan; by 1973, a third of active troops had trained on Soviet soil.

The new government, which had little popular support, forged close ties with the Soviet Union, launched ruthless purges of all domestic opposition, and began extensive land and social reforms that were bitterly resented by the devoutly Muslim and largely anti-communist population. Insurgencies arose against the government among both tribal and urban groups, and all of these—known collectively as the mujahideen—were Islamic in orientation.

The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was an attempt to prop up their new but faltering client state, now headed by Babrak Karmal. The aim of the Soviet operation was to secure Afghanistan's place 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 triggered a brutal, nine-year civil war and contributed significantly to the USSR's later collapse. By the time the last Soviet troops pulled out in early 1989, the conflict had cost the lives of an estimated 1 million civilians and some 125,000 Afghan, Soviet and other combatants. The war 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 later collapse and breakup.

The invasion ended the period of lessening tensions between the two superpowers known as détente

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 ended the period of lessening tensions between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, known as détente.

Détente, derived from the French word for "relaxation", refers to the easing of strained relations between nations, especially political ones, through verbal communication. The term is often used to refer to the period of general easing of geopolitical tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War.

Détente began in 1969 as a core element of the foreign policy of U.S. President Richard Nixon. In an effort to avoid an escalation of conflict with the Eastern Bloc, the Nixon administration promoted greater dialogue with the Soviet government to facilitate negotiations over arms control and other bilateral agreements. This period of détente saw the ratification of major disarmament treaties such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the creation of more symbolic pacts such as the Helsinki Accords.

However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 marked the end of this era of détente. The invasion began in late December 1979 when the Soviet Union sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan, assuming complete military and political control of Kabul and large portions of the country. This 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 triggered a brutal, decade-long civil war in Afghanistan and contributed significantly to the eventual collapse of the USSR. It was met with worldwide condemnation and sharp criticism from the United States and its European allies. In response, the Carter administration implemented economic sanctions and trade embargoes against the Soviet Union, boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and stepped up aid to the Afghan insurgents.

The invasion ended the spirit of cooperation between the two superpowers, and arms control talks ceased in the early 1980s. It also led to the rise of the Taliban and the eventual establishment of a training base for Osama bin Laden, highlighting the ongoing ramifications of the Soviet-Afghan conflict.

The war resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees

The Soviet-Afghan War, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, was a protracted armed conflict fought between the Soviet-controlled Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan mujahideen and their allied foreign fighters. The war resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees.

The war began when the Soviets, under the command of Leonid Brezhnev, invaded Afghanistan to support the local pro-Soviet government. 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 under Soviet control. The mujahideen were supported by various countries, including Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

The Soviets dealt harshly with the mujahideen and those who supported them, levelling villages to deny them safe havens. They also laid millions of landmines across Afghanistan, and used aerial power to attack both Afghan resistance fighters and civilians. The Soviets' brutal tactics caused a loss of support for the Soviet military presence and eventually created a nationwide resistance during the conflict.

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