Soviet Invasion: Afghanistan's Decade Of War And Resistance

In the late 1970s, Afghanistan was in a state of political upheaval. In 1973, Afghanistan's last king, Mohammed Daoud Khan, was ousted in a coup by his cousin and brother-in-law, Mohammed Daoud Khan, who established a republic. The USSR welcomed this shift to the left, but their delight soon faded as Daoud Khan refused to be a Soviet puppet. In 1978, the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew Daoud Khan in what became known as the Saur Revolution.

In the fall of 1979, revolutionary Hafizullah Amin orchestrated an internal PDPA coup that killed the party's first leader and ushered in his brief, but brutal reign. National unrest soared, and Moscow's hand-wringing intensified. On Christmas Eve 1979, the Soviet Union began an invasion of Afghanistan, its Central Asian neighbour to the south. First, it air-dropped elite troops into principal Afghan cities, and soon after, it deployed motorized divisions across the border. Within days, the KGB, which had infiltrated the Afghan presidential palace, poisoned the president and his ministers, helping launch a Moscow-backed coup to install a new puppet leader, Babrak Karmal.

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the local pro-Soviet government

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 to support the local pro-Soviet government. The invasion was triggered by a series of events, including:

• Afghanistan's strategic importance as a buffer state between the British-controlled Indian subcontinent and the Russian Empire during the "Great Game" in the 19th century.
• The rise of communism in Afghanistan, with the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) seizing power in a 1978 coup, leading to internal divisions and resistance from various Afghan groups.
• The Soviet Union's fear of the "domino theory", concerned that if Afghanistan fell to the mujahideen and became an Islamic state, it would inspire similar movements in Muslim-majority regions within the Soviet Union.
• The Soviet Union's desire to preserve a pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan, which was seen as a strategic ally in the region.
• Geopolitical struggles with the United States, with the Cold War rivalry between the two superpowers playing out in Afghanistan.

The invasion was a watershed event of the Cold War

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan 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 met with worldwide condemnation, and the United States and its European allies criticised the move.

The invasion was a strategic decision by the Soviet Union to maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border. The Soviet Union had been providing military training and aid to Afghanistan since 1955, and by 1973, a third of active troops had trained on Soviet soil. The Soviets were concerned about growing US influence in Afghanistan, and the invasion was an attempt to prevent a hostile Islamic government from taking control.

The invasion was also an attempt to uphold the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that once a country became socialist, Moscow would never permit it to return to the capitalist camp. The invasion was the culmination of growing Soviet domination going back to 1973.

The invasion was met with fierce resistance from Afghan guerrillas, and the Soviets experienced great operational difficulties in the rugged mountainous terrain. The war resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, and millions more fled the country as refugees. The Soviet Union left Afghanistan in 1989, and the war is thought to have contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The invasion was the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc. It was a watershed event of the Cold War, marking the culmination of growing Soviet domination going back to 1973.

The invasion was a strategic decision met with nearly worldwide condemnation. The United States and its European allies, guided by their own doctrine of containment, sharply criticized the Soviet move into Afghanistan and devised numerous measures to compel Moscow to withdraw.

The invasion was also a significant factor in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. 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 later collapse and breakup.

The invasion was met with worldwide condemnation

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was met with worldwide condemnation. The invasion was seen as a "callous violation of international law and the United Nations Charter" by the United States, who placed a trade embargo on the Soviet Union. The United Nations passed a resolution protesting the invasion with a vote of 104-18. The Soviet Union was also met with strong criticism from some of its allied states at the UN General Assembly.

The invasion was also condemned by foreign ministers from 34 Muslim-majority countries, who adopted a resolution demanding the "immediate, urgent and unconditional withdrawal of Soviet troops" from Afghanistan. The Soviet military activities were also criticised by Cuba, who acknowledged that Cuba had "highly esteemed friends" who believed the invasion was a threat to the independence and sovereignty of peoples.

The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was seen as a fresh twist on the geo-political "Great Game" of the 19th century, in which Britain feared that Russia sought access to the Indian Ocean. The invasion was also seen as a violation of the world balance of power agreed upon at Yalta in 1945.

The invasion was the culmination of growing Soviet domination going back to 1973

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the culmination of growing Soviet domination going back to 1973. Here is a timeline of the events that led to the invasion:

• In 1973, Afghanistan's last king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, was ousted in a coup by his cousin and brother-in-law, Mohammed Daoud Khan. Daoud Khan established a republic and refused to be a Soviet puppet, instead seeking to reduce Afghanistan's financial and military dependence on the USSR.
• In 1977, Daoud Khan met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and told him that Afghanistan would remain free in its acts and decisions, even if that meant remaining poor.
• In 1978, the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew Daoud Khan in what became known as the Saur Revolution. Daoud Khan and 18 family members were killed.
• The PDPA regime was divided and unstable, and faced fierce resistance from conservative and religious leaders, as well as opposition from much of the Afghan countryside to their radical agrarian reforms.
• In 1979, Hafizullah Amin, the leader of the PDPA, orchestrated an internal coup that killed the party's first leader. Amin's brief and brutal regime was marked by national unrest, and the Soviet Union feared that he would turn to the United States for help.
• In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, sending in around 30,0000 troops and installing a new leader, Babrak Karmal.

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