RR

(7) Feature History - Soviet-Afghan War

Introduction to the Soviet-Afghan War

  • Overview of the conflict: battles won, war lost.

  • Afghanistan as a strategic crossroads for powers.

Historical Context of Afghanistan

  • Landlocked, harsh terrain.

  • Mixed tribal groups; self-isolated, indifferent to global politics.

The 19th Century

  • Interest from Russian and British empires.

  • Borders established as buffers, dividing ethnic groups.

  • 1919: Afghanistan recognized as an independent emirate.

Modernization and Cold War Influence

  • 1960s: King Mohammad Zahir Shah promotes modernization.

  • Rise of U.S. and U.S.S.R. interests in Afghanistan.

The Coup and Communist Takeover

  • 1973: Mohammed Daoud Khan stages a bloodless coup.

  • Proclaims Afghan Republic and enforces Pashtun nationalism.

  • 1978: Daoud Khan ousted by the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA).

Conflict under PDPA Rule

  • Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin implements radical changes.

  • Pushback from traditionalists and rural populations.

  • Government instability allows for civil unrest and violence.

  • Taraki killed by Amin, leading to greater chaos.

Soviet Intervention

  • 1979: Soviet Union invades to install control.

  • Amin executed; replaced by Babrak Karmal.

  • The conflict viewed as an invasion by the West and Muslim countries.

Rise of the Mujahideen

  • Afghan tribal warlords unite against Soviet forces, branding the conflict a Jihad.

  • U.S. supplies arms to Mujahideen, seeking to counter communism.

  • Guerrilla tactics employed by leaders like Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Soviet Losses and Political Changes

  • Despite military victories, the Soviet Army struggles against persistent guerrilla warfare.

  • Shift in Soviet politics under Mikhail Gorbachev (1985) leads to withdrawal strategies.

  • 1988: Geneva Accords signed for USSR exit; last troops leave Afghanistan in 1989.

Aftermath of the War

  • Mujahideen continue to resist Najibullah's government post-Soviet withdrawal.

  • 1992: Civil war erupts as factions struggle for power.

The Rise of the Taliban

  • Gulbuddin Hekmatyar versus Ahmad Shah Massoud and others. [Hekmatyar unites with taliban?)

  • Taliban, led by Mullah Omar, seizes Kabul in 1996.

  • Continued resistance from Massoud until his assassination in 2001.

Impact on Global Politics

  • 9/11 terrorist attacks and subsequent U.S. war on terror.

  • Taliban's refusal to surrender Osama Bin Laden leads to U.S. conflict.

Legacy of the Soviet-Afghan War

  • Ongoing instability, millions of Afghan deaths, and refugees.

  • Origins of contemporary Islamic terrorist groups trace back to the war.

  • Importance of recognizing the war's impact on present dynamics.