The soviet war in afghanistan, also known as the soviet afghan war or just the soviet invasion of afghanistan, was a nineyear conflict involving soviet forces supporting the marxist peoples democratic party of afghanistan pdpa government against the mujahideen resistance. By vast i am referring to the ability of russia soviet union to construct trade logistics from t. Part of the cold war, it was fought between sovietled afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist. 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. Describe how the sovietafghan war effected the people of afghanistan. Lester grau and michael gresss expert english translation of the general staffs study offers the very. The soviet afghan 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 for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. 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. By vast i am referring to the ability of russia soviet union to construct trade logistics from the transsiberian railway all the way to sri lanka. 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. 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 soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. The soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time since world war ii that organized soviet troops had been sent outside the bloc or cuba. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. Dec 23, 2004 the soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time since world war ii that organized soviet troops had been sent outside the bloc or cuba. As a result of the war, soviets were in billions of dollars of debt, which severely weakened the ussr. 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 countryside. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the. The soviet union having dissolved in late 1991 and russia having decided to end fuel shipments to afghanistan, by 1992 the afghan regime of president mohammad najibullah began to collapse.
Politically, the afghans won the war, effectively ending the vast political influence and economic influx of russia soviet union into south east asia. During the last years of the cold war, the soviet union sent some of its most elite troops to unfamiliar lands in central asia. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. By doing so, they manage to eliminate rivals to power when the war is over. The sovietafghan war goodreads meet your next favorite book. Between 562,0002 million civilians were killed and millions of afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to pakistan and iran. Soviet soldiers observe the highlands, while fighting islamic guerrillas at. 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. Almost 15,000 soviets died in the war, while an estimated number of one million afghanis perished. The war caused 50,000 soviet casualties and loss of pieces of equipment and 450 aircrafts.
The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. In the sovietafghan war the russian general staff takes a close critical look at the soviet militarys disappointing performance in that war in an effort to better understand what happened and why and what lessons should be taken from it. The soviet war in afghanistan, also known as the sovietafghan war or just the soviet invasion of afghanistan, was a nineyear conflict involving soviet forces supporting the marxist peoples democratic party of afghanistan pdpa government against the mujahideen resistance. As a result of the war, soviets were in billions of.
Soviets bombed villages in rural areas which resulted in the death of many innocent women and children. At the other end of the ideological spectrum, leonid brezhnev became the leader of communist soviet union after seizing power from his mentor, nikita khrushchev, following soviet defeat in the cuban missile crisis kris, 2004. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, invasion of afghanistan in late december 1979 by troops from the soviet union. The soviet invasion had enormous implications on the global stage. 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. Why did the soviet union go to war with afghanistan. The soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979 and sparked a tenyear conflict lasting until 1989. There is a relative lack of studies on the soviet war in afghanistan in english, so this book is a welcome addition. Like borovik, the soldiers interviewed are primarily from the russian and government afghan side, unlike borovik, the work has not been carried out during the hostilities but afterwards. The talibans efforts were initially embraced by the warravaged afghans. The sovietafghan 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. Lester grau and michael gresss expert english translation of the general staffs study offers the very first publication in any language of this important and illuminating work. Insurgent groups known as the mujahideen fought against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan. 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.
Sovietafghan war wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Sep 18, 2001 the talibans efforts were initially embraced by the warravaged afghans. The revolutions of 1989 and the fall of the soviet union. The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan. Apr 23, 2012 afghanistan, as a result of the war, entered a state of civil instability, which still continues into present day. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. This view is shared in a number of accounts cold war warriors, 2010. 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. Jan 06, 2019 it was an intervention at the behest of the government of afghanistan at that time that morphed into a full blown counterinsurgency operation lasting more than nine years. Politically, the afghans won the war, effectively ending the vast political influence and economic influx of russiasoviet union into south east asia. It raged almost for 10 years, from december 1979 to february 1989.
The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, and. The us does not object or limit funding because of this. But soon their promise to end the chaos of war and warlords resulted in the imposition of a strict interpretation of. As a result, 15,000 soviet people were killed and 37,000 wounded. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Foreign mujahidin would take shelter in rural areas and villages. Learn more about the background of the conflict, the belligerents, the military strategy, and the.
Mar 28, 20 the war continues with the talibans wanton killing of afghan civilians, the assassination of government officials, and the brazen multiple suicide attacks on american bases. By vast i am referring to the ability of russiasoviet union to construct trade logistics from t. The mujahideen received unofficial military andor financial support from a variety of countries including the. 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. 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 author also draws many analogies between the sovietafghan war and the ongoing war led by the united states. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border. The documents presented here shed light on the most important moments in the history of the soviet war in afghanistanthe afghan governments requests for assistance, the soviet unions initial refusal of troops, the reversal of this policy by a small group of the politburo and the soviet decision to invade. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, and pakistan. Same old mistakes in new afghan war afghanistan the. Soviet war in afghanistan newspaper archives newspaperarchive. 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.
War between the soviet union and afghan insurgents, 197989 sovietafghan war part of the wars in afghanistan and the cold war. It was an intervention at the behest of the government of afghanistan at that time that morphed into a full blown counterinsurgency operation lasting more than nine years. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th. A russian journalists account of the soviet war in afghanistan to portray the soviet war in afghanistan from a soldiers perspective. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world.
In many ways this book attempts the same as artyom boroviks the hidden war. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, as well as. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. 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.
Afghanistan war, international conflict beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks. Historiography sovietafghan war flashcards quizlet. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, 8 as well. It was fought over nine years, from december 1979 to february 1989, mostly in the afghan countryside. Apr 08, 2008 after 10 years of fruitless fighting where little was accomplished, the soviet union decided to pull out in 1989.
When edmund mcwilliams, the state departments special envoy to the afghan resistance in 198889, wrote that american authority and billions of dollars in taxpayer funding had been hijacked at the wars end by a ruthless antiamerican cabal of islamists and pakistani intelligence officers determined to impose their will on afghanistan, cia. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned dave shunk 26 december 2008 col dave shunk, usaf, ret. He first tried to increase soviet troops to end the war quickly. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan.
Jan 12, 2017 the afghan conflict allowed the west to turn the tables on the soviet union. The sovietafghan war lasted over nine years, from december 1979 to february 1989. The soviet war, at its conclusion, cost more than a million afghan lives, 26,000 soviet soldiers died and more than five million afghans fled the. 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. 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 for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside.
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 to fight a vaguely defined. By the end of the 1970s the ussr had enormous influence in the world visavis a battered and decaying america that. Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym. We aim to produce four documentaries this summer, please help us reach this goal by becoming a patron. I learned a great deal about the war from this book.
The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. The war continues with the talibans wanton killing of afghan civilians, the assassination of government officials, and the brazen multiple suicide attacks on american bases. Describe how the soviet afghan war effected the people of afghanistan. I learned more about the details of this war in a single chapter from this book than i have in all the other books combined. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned. This is the 7th book on the sovietafghan war ive read, and lester grau kept up his reputation with this book for historical investigative detail. 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. On december 25, 1991, the soviet flag flew over the kremlin in moscow for the last time. Afghanistan, as a result of the war, entered a state of civil instability, which still continues into present day.
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