A Soviet soldier on guard in Afghanistan in 1988. Photo by Mikhail Evstafiev

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a 10-year war fought between the Soviet Army and rebels in Afghanistan. The war is generally held to have started December 24, 1979. Soviet troops ultimately withdrew from the area between May 15, 1988 and February 2, 1989. The Soviet Union officially announced that all of its troops had left Afghanistan on February 15, 1989. ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-Soviet-slodier-Afghanistan. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-Soviet-slodier-Afghanistan. ... This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Background

Afghanistan, the crossroads of Central Asia, has had a violent history. In 328 BC, Alexander the Great entered the territory, then part of the Persian Empire, to capture Bactria (present-day Balkh). Invasions by the Scythians, White Huns, and Turks followed in succeeding centuries. In AD 642, Arabs invaded the entire region and introduced Islam. Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 333 BC 332 BC 331 BC 330 BC 329 BC - 328 BC - 327 BC 326 BC 325... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by an Indo-Aryans known as the Scythians. ... The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... Events August 5 - In the Battle of Maserfield, Penda king of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald, king of Bernicia. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are an originally Arabian ethnicity widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. ...   Islam[?] (Arabic: الإسلام al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ...

Afghanistan's nearly impassable mountainous and desert terrain reflects its ethnically and linguistically mixed population. Pashtuns are the most dominant ethnic group along with, Tajiks, Hazara, Aimak, Uzbek, Turkmen and other small groups. The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, or ethnic Afghan; in referring to the period of the British Raj or earlier, sometimes Pathan) are an ethnic/religious group of people, living primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India who follow Pashtunwali, their indigenous religion. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran, and the Xinjiang province of China. ... The Hazara ethnic group resides mainly in the central Afghanistan mountain region called Hazarajat. They make up anywhere between 9-20% of Afghanistans population, but an accurate census has not been taken in decades so there is little information to verify at present. ... The Aimak (or Eimak, Aimaq) are a Persian-speaking nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes of a mixed Iranian and Mongolian stock inhabiting the north and north-west Afghan highlands immediately to the north of Herat. ...

April 1978 coup

Mohammad Zahir Shah, succeeded to the throne and reigned from 1933 to 1973. Zahir's cousin, Mohammad Daoud, served as Prime Minister from 1953 to 1963. The growth of the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), with close ties to the Soviet Union, was credited significant growth in these years. In 1967 the PDPA split into two rival factions, the Khalq (Masses) faction headed by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin and the Parcham (Banner) faction led by Babrak Karmal. Mohammed Zahir Shah (born October 16, 1914) was the last King of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan (July 18, 1909 - April 28, 1978) was an Afghani statesman and President of the Republic of Afghanistan from 1973 until his assassination in 1978 as a result of a revolution led by the quasi-Marxist Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). ... The Prime Minister of Afghanistan is the head of government of that country. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Headline text حزب دموکراتيک خلق افغانستان The Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) was a Marxist-Leninist party founded in January 1, 1965. ... Nur Muhammad Taraki (1913? - 1979) was an Afghan political figure amateur poet, and publicly-notorious revolutionary. ... Hafizullah Amin (August 1, 1929 - December 27, 1979) was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ... Babrak Karmal (January 6, 1929 - December 3, 1996) was the third President of Afghanistan (1980 - 1986) during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ...

Former Prime Minister Daoud seized power in a military coup on July 17, 1973 through charges of corruption and poor economic conditions. Daoud put an end to the monarchy. His attempts at economic and social reforms failed. Seeking to exploit mounting popular disaffection, the PDPA reunified with Moscow's support. A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ...

On April 27, 1978 the PDPA overthrew and murdered Daoud and most of his family. Nur Muhammad Taraki, Secretary General of the PDPA, became President of the Revolutionary Council and Prime Minister of the newly established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Marxist government

During its first 18 months of rule, the PDPA imposed a Marxist-style "reform" program. Decrees forcing changes in marriage customs and ill-conceived land reform were misunderstood by virtually all Afghans. In addition, thousands of members of the traditional elite, the religious establishment and intellectuals were tortured, imprisoned or murdered. Within the PDPA conflicts resulted in exiles, purges and executions. Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ...

By the summer of 1978, a revolt began in the Nuristan region of eastern Afghanistan and spread into a countrywide insurgency. In September 1979 Hafizullah Amin seized power from Taraki after a palace shootout. Over 2 month’s instability overwhelmed Amin's regime as he moved against perceived enemies in the PDPA and the growing insurgency. Nurestan Province (also spelled Nuristan) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ...

The former director of the CIA, Robert Gates, stated in his memoirs "From the Shadows", that American intelligence services began to aid the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan 6 months before the Soviet intervention. According to then US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. It was July 3, 1979 that President Carter signed the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. These revalations have shed a whole new light onto the proceeding conflict.

The Soviet invasion

The HQ of the Soviet 40th Army in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1987. Before the invasion it was the Presidential Palace where Amin was killed. Photo by Mikhail Evstafiev

In December 1978, Moscow signed a bilateral treaty of cooperation with Afghanistan. The Soviet military assistance program increased and Amin’s regime became dependent on Soviet military equipment and advisers. However, By October 1979 relations between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union were tense as Amin refused Soviet advice to stabilize his government. ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-40th_army_HQ-Amin-palace-Kabul. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-40th_army_HQ-Amin-palace-Kabul. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA:   listen?) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ...

With a deteriorating security situation, large numbers of Soviet airborne forces joined thousands of stationed ground troops and began to land in Kabul. On December 27, 1979 700 KGB spetsnaz special forces troops, from the Alpha Group, dressed in Afghan uniforms stormed the Presidential Place in Kabul, killing President Hafizullah Amin. Moscow calculated that Amin's ouster would end the factional power struggle within the PDPA and also calm Afghan discontent. Babrak Karmal, exiled leader of the PDPA Parcham faction was installed as President. Soviet ground forces invaded from the north on December 27. Kabul Kabul (34°32′ N 69°10′ E, Kâbl, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield For other meanings, see KGB (disambiguation). ... A member of the FSB Alpha Group, equipped with the silenced AS VAL assault rifle. ... Special Forces are relatively small military units raised and trained for special operations missions such as Special Reconnaissance (SR), Unconventional Warfare (UW), Direct Action (DA), Counter-Terrorism (CT), and Foreign Internal Defense (FID). ... A member of the FSB Alpha Group, equipped with the silenced AS VAL assault rifle. ... Hafizullah Amin (August 1, 1929 - December 27, 1979) was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Soviet/Afghan war

Following the invasion, the Soviet troops were unable to establish authority outside Kabul. As much as 80% of the countryside still escaped effective government control. The initial mission, to guard cities and installations, was expanded to combat the Mujahideen rebel forces by mostly Soviet army reservists. Mujahideen (Arabic: , also transliterated as mujāhidīn, mujahedeen, mujahedin, mujahidin, mujaheddin, etc. ...

Early military reports emphasized the difficulty of fighting on the mountainous terrain, for which the Soviet Army had no training. Weaponry and military equipment, particularly armored cars and tanks, were vulnerable and Soviet troops had no anti-guerrilla training. Heavy artillery was broadly used against the rebels. // Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

Soviet soldiers often found themselves fighting against the civilians they intended to protect, which led to the killing of local people. Operations to capture rebel formations were often unsuccessful and had to be repeated several times in the same area because the rebels retreated to the mountains and home villages while the Soviets returned to their occupying forces.

By the mid-1980s, the Afghan resistance movement, aided by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others was costing Moscow a high price militarily and with relations to the Western and Islamic world.

In May 1985, the seven principal guerrilla organizations formed an alliance to coordinate their military operations against the Soviet army. Late in 1985 the groups were active in and around Kabul, launching rocket attacks and conducting operations against the communist government. The failure of the Soviet Union to win militarily, gain a significant number of Afghan collaborators or to rebuild the Afghan army forced an increasing responsibility towards the resistance and civilian administration. This article is about the month of May. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Karmal was replaced by Mohammad Najibullah, former chief of the Afghan secret police (KHAD) in May 1986. Najibullah was ineffective and highly dependent on Soviet support. Further weakened by divisions within the PDPA, the regimes efforts to broaden its base of support once again failed. Mohammad Najibullah (1947–September 27, 1996) was the fourth President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Informal negotiations for a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan had been underway since 1982. In 1988 the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the United States and Soviet Union serving as guarantors, signed an agreement settling the major differences between them known as the Geneva Accords. 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the proposal for peace between Israel and Palestine. ...

Soviet troops withdrawing from Afghanistan in 1988. Photo by Mikhail Evstafiev

Among other things the Geneva accords identified the U.S. and Soviet non-interference with internal affairs of Pakistan and Afghanistan and a timetable for full Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989. An estimated one million Afghans were killed between 1979 and 1989, along with about 15,000 Soviets. ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-afghan-apc-passes-russian. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-afghan-apc-passes-russian. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Aftermath

The war in Afghanistan had a major impact on domestic politics in the Soviet Union. It was one of the key factors in the de-legitimization of Communist Party rule. Civil society reacted to the intervention by marginalizing the Afghan veterans. The army was demoralized as a result of being perceived as an invader. In modern usage, a Communist party is a political party which promotes communism, a sociopolitical philosophy based on the particular interpretation of Marxism put forth by Vladimir Lenin. ...

The prominent dissident and human rights activist, Academician Andrei Sakharov, publicly denounced the atrocities committed by the Soviet Army in Afghanistan. The image of the Soviet Army fighting against Islam in Afghanistan also contributed to a rapid rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the Central Asian republics and possibly to the strengthening of the independence movement in Chechnya. Andrei Sakharov, 1943 Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov (Андре́й Дми́триевич Са́харов, May 21, 1921 – December 14, 1989), was an eminent Soviet-Russian nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. ...   Islam[?] (Arabic: الإسلام al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... The Chechen Republic (Chechen: Нохчийн Республика/Noxçiyn [Nokhchiyn] Respublika, Russian: Чеченская Республика), informal Chechnya (Chechen: Нохчичьо/Noxçiyçö/Nokhchiyno, Russian: Чечня), Ichkeria, Chechnia or Chechenia, is currently a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. ...

A civil war continued in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal. Najibullah's regime, though failing to win popular support, territory, or international recognition, was able to remain in power until 1992. However, it collapsed after the defection of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostam and his Uzbek militia in March. A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ... 1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... General Abdul Rashid Dostum (also Abdurrashid Dostum, born 1954) is the Deputy Defense Minister of Afghanistan and an Uzbek warlord. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

Grain production declined an average of 3.5% per year between 1978 and 1990 due to sustained fighting, instability in rural areas, prolonged drought, and deteriorated infrastructure. Soviet efforts to disrupt production in resistance-dominated areas also contributed to this decline. Furthermore, Soviet efforts to centralize the economy through state ownership and control and consolidation of farmland into large collective farms contributed to lower production.

During the withdrawal of Soviet troops, Afghanistan's natural gas fields were capped to prevent sabotage. Restoration of gas production has been hampered by internal strife and the disruption of traditional trading relationships following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Natural gas (commonly refered to as gas in many countries, but note that this is also American and Canadian slang for gasoline) is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane. ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ...

Cinema

• Rambo 3 was a movie set within the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• The Beast is a movie made in 1989 about a Soviet T-62 tank during the invasion of Afghanistan, set in 1981.
• Afghan Breakdown/Afghanskij Izlom is a movie made by Italy and USSR in 1990 about the invasion of Afghanistan, where one of the main role plays Michele Placido known from Italian mafia TV series The Octopus/La Piovra.
• The James Bond movie The Living Daylights, made in 1987 with Timothy Dalton as Bond, was partly set in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan.
• 9th Company the first attempt by Russian cinema to produce a big-screen, big-budget move about the Soviet experience in Afghanistan.

Rambo III movie poster Released on May 25, 1988, the film Rambo III sees Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) going to Afghanistan to rescue Colonel Trautman, who was captured while trying to supply weapons, because of the particular atrocities of the local occupying Russian army. ... The Beast (aka The Beast of War) is a Columbia Pictures movie about a Soviet T-62 tank lost in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1981. ... Afghan Breakdown (Afganskij Izlom in Russian) is a movie made in Italy and USSR in 1990. ... Michele Placido (b. ... James Bond is best known from the EON Productions film series. ... The Living Daylights is a James Bond short story written by Ian Fleming, first published in the first color magazine supplement of the Sunday Times newspaper, on February 4, 1962, and later reprinted in Argosy magazine, under the title Berlin Escape. In 1966 it was the second story in the... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Timothy Dalton Timothy Peter Dalton (born March 21, 1946) is a Welsh-born English actor of stage and screen most famous as the fourth official James Bond. ... The first attempt by Russian cinematographers to create a big-screen, big-budget movie about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. ...

See also

• Invasions of Afghanistan
• For the history of the Soviet Union's presence in the country, see: Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been invaded many times, and in fact its boundaries and legitimate government have almost always been in dispute. ... جمهوری دموکراتيک افغانستان This article is about Communist rule in Afghanistan (1978-1992). ...

Further reading

Non-fiction

• Kurt Lohbeck, introduction by Dan Rather, Holy War, Unholy Victory: Eyewitness to the Cia's Secret War in Afghanistan, Regnery Publishing (November, 1993), hardcover, ISBN 0895264994
• Stephanie Courtios, Le livre noir du Communisme, hardcover, ISBN 0674076087
• George Crile, Charlie Wilson's War: the extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history, Atlantic Monthly Press 2003, ISBN 0871138514
• Robert D. Kaplan, Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan, ISBN 1400030250
• Lester W. Grau, The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Super Power Fought and Lost, ISBN 070061186X

Dan Rather, from a telecast in October 2004. ... Robert D. Kaplan (born 1952) is a prominent but controversial American journalist currently an editor for the Atlantic Monthly. ...

Fiction

Vladimir Rybakov. The Afghans. Infinity Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-7414-2296-4

External links

• Other sources
• U.N resolution A/RES/37/37 over the Intervention in the Country
• details up to 1985 Afghanistan Country Study