Significance of the soviet afghan war book

It not only contributed to major geopolitical shifts in the region and beyond but also put to the test the validity of certain military. The selfpropelling dynamics of violence in afghanistan, which appears set to outlast the as yet ongoing peacemaking, is rooted in the impact of the soviet intervention, in which fighting was only an element of the complex political drama of destruction of the afghan state. The premier treatment of the full length of the soviet war in afghanistan is by artemy kalinovsky in his book, a long goodbye. 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. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Understanding that the soviet unions troublesome economic and international situation was complicated by its involvement in the afghan war, gorbachev had decided to seek a withdrawal from afghanistan and had won the support of the politburo to do so by october 1985. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned dave shunk 26 december 2008 col dave shunk, usaf, ret. The war put immense stresses on the faulty, centralized economic system of the nation, and along with the radical social reforms set by mikhail gorbachev, led to the collapse of the nation. Reading this book may help us avoid the costly mistakes made by the. I learned a great deal about the war from this book. 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. But while this is a good nonfiction book i would recommend everyone read, a surprising amount of information in here is not very astonishing.

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. 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. Apr 27, 2015 the translation of this important book, written by a general of the soviet red army, must be celebrated as a most important contribution by dr najam ul sahar butt. Next, we outline the role of the afghanistan war in the breakdown of the soviet union and provide evidence in support of our contention. Although the wikileaks war diary starts more than two years later in january 2004, the origins of the culture of violence can be traced back to the late 1970s. 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 sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups as well as smaller maoist. The taliban, which rose from the ashes of afghanistans postsoviet civil war, provides alqaeda sanctuary for operations. The defection of the kgb archivist vasili mitrokhin, with detailed notes of thousands of top secret files to britain after the soviet state. Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. 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. The afghan war diary makes a major contribution to that debate. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

There, they cultivated arab recruits to fight with the afghan mujahideen. The hidden war by borovik is a very good account of experiences and morale or lack of units during the war, written by what would now be called an embedded reporter. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions. The sovietafghan war was a major conflict of syphon filter 3. Reading will give a good sense of the attitudesmotivations of the individual soldiers up to the generalscommittee members rather than seeing them as the cliched mi24 flying imperialists they were often presented in western. The war in afghanistan and its effects on the soviet economy. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. How did the soviet invasion of afghanistan impact the cold. We aim to produce four documentaries this summer, please help us reach this goal by becoming a patron.

In this second part of a twopart interview by government book talk blog editor michele bartram, col. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978 as midnight approached, the soviets organized a. There is a relative lack of studies on the soviet war in afghanistan in english, so this book is a welcome addition. The sovietafghan war us naval war college digital commons. His story was told in the book and film charlie wilsons war. It raged almost for 10 years, from december 1979 to february 1989. Jan 29, 2019 the premier treatment of the full length of the soviet war in afghanistan is by artemy kalinovsky in his book, a long goodbye.

They were two biggest wold powers and opponents at the time. Jan 17, 2020 the idea that the 911 attacks have their roots in the soviet afghan war comes from bin ladens role in it. Impressive and convincing telling of the soviet afghan war from the perspective of the russianssoviets involved. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. 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.

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. Sep 20, 2016 the sovietafghan war of 19791989 marked the end of the soviet era with a sore wound. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. The sovietafghan war of 19791989 marked the end of the soviet era with a sore wound. Former congressman charlie wilson helped fund afghanistans resistance to the soviet union. Apr 17, 2019 former congressman charlie wilson helped fund afghanistans resistance to the soviet union. Dec 20, 2019 on december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the soviet afghan friendship treaty of 1978 as midnight approached, the soviets organized a massive. The sovietafghan war lasted over nine years, from december 1979 to february 1989. Lester grau and michael gresss expert english translation of the general staffs study offers the very. Charlie wilsons war refers to the how a man in congress got money from government to aid the mujahedeen in fighting the russians on afghanistan soil.

Jan 29, 2019 president trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists. Reading this book may help us avoid the costly mistakes made by the soviets. Apr 10, 2012 similarly, if you wanted to add in americas first afghan war, the ciafinanced antisoviet war of the mujahideen from 1980 to 1989, you might once again have a longest war competition. Existing explanations of the soviet unions breakdown according to systemic explanations, the soviet system of the 1970s was facing a. Then a small group of prosoviet afghan nationalists seized power in kabul.

The afghan war quickly settled down into a stalemate, with about 100,000 soviet troops controlling the cities, large towns, and major garrisons and the mujahideen roaming relatively freely throughout the countryside. Then a small group of pro soviet afghan nationalists seized power in kabul. Dozens of books and hundreds of articles dealing with the war and the afghan resistance have already been published. The significance of the afghan war diary palestine chronicle. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. Cassidy, author of the new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords.

In historical terms, the significance of these documents is comparable to that of the mitrokhin files uncovered nearly two decades ago. The intense images of afghanistans long and distant war. His behind the scenes campaign was the subject of the nonfiction book charlie wilsons war by george crile and a subsequent film adaptation starring tom hanks as wilson. Two guerilla forces, the mujahideen proved to be formidable opponents to the soviets like the viet cong were to the americans. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Soviet aircraft bombing indiscriminantly village after village pummeled into oblivion then overrun by soviet troops the village men who refused to join the afghan army were murdered thousands of civilians killed in soviet atrocities the mujahideen attacked soviet convoys 2,000 soviets died each year the war seemed pointless to the soviet soldiers. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan harvard, 2011, which both provides lessons for todays u. The rationale for the decision was article 4 of the sovietafghan treaty of friendship, good neighborhood and cooperation of december 5, 1978, article 51 of the. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the sovietafghan war. In his enlightening and refreshing book, largely based on russian sources. This is a provocative and important book, telling us what the soviet military was thinking and. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet.

The soviet troops tried to crush the insurgency by various tactics, but the guerrillas generally eluded their attacks. Boozing through the sovietafghan war was more horrifying. 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. Also, a large number of refugees traveled to refugee camps in peshawar, pakistan. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. Insurgent groups known as the mujahideen fought against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan. Members of the united states army meet with an afghan army sergeant, right, in the village of tieranon, kandahar province, in 20. Mikhail gorbachev attempted to reform the soviet economy, but discovered that you cannot give people a little bit of freedom and starting in 1989 the warsaw pact nationas spurned communism in a. The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan.

The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. Zinky boys offers a unique, harrowing, and unforgettably powerful insight into the realities of war. The significance of the afghanistan war diary history. How did the soviet invasion of afghanistan impact the cold war. The historical significance of this event is mainly embodied in the collapse of the soviet union twelve years after the invasion of afghanistan. Soviets bombed villages in rural areas which resulted in the death of many innocent women and children. Feb 23, 2004 ghost wars provides an extensive history of war on terrorism, outlining all the mistakes cia and the american government has made and how theyve ignored the results of their own decisions.

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. The afghan civil war despite the geneva accords and the withdrawal of soviet forces, civil war continued in afghanistan as the mujahadeen continued. His behindthescenes campaign was the subject of the nonfiction book charlie. The military hierarchy denied the enlisted men legal access to drink, yet fighting a highstress and in the early years, at least officially unacknowledged. The soviet vietnam by tamarov is a photographic record of one soldiers tour in the war, mainly personal images but some great pictures of equipment. The author also draws many analogies between the sovietafghan war and the ongoing war led by the united states. The sovietafghan war lasted over nine years from december 1979 to february 1989.

During much of the war he, and ayman al zawahiri, the egyptian head of islamic jihad, an egyptian group, lived in neighboring pakistan. Similarly, if you wanted to add in americas first afghan war, the ciafinanced antisoviet war of the mujahideen from 1980 to 1989, you might once again have a longest war competition. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, describes the lessons learned after ten years of war in afghanistan. The significance of the afghanistan war diary history news. 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. Describe how the sovietafghan war effected the people of afghanistan.

Dec 23, 2004 lieutenant general aleksandr mayorov was a senior soviet military adviser to the afghan regime in 1980 and 1981 and is the author of the book the truth about the afghan war. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan and the. One of the most significant byproducts of the great game with respect to questions of. Lord palmerston, british foreign secretary during the first anglo afghan war, in a later 1853 letter to his eventual successor, lord clarendon.

The history of the us war in afghanistan thoughtco. Sep 10, 2011 the increased soviet defense spending and the war in afghanistan combined with a moribund economy forced the soviets to make difficult decisions. The vietnam war was seen as a failure by the americans and the soviet invasion marked the beginning of a disintegrating soviet union. As a part of the cold war, the mujahideens were openly supported by the us government and nato.

The sovietafghan war had an important impact in popular culture in the west, due to its scope, and the great number of. What the afghan war has in common with the vietnam war. While the books treatment of recent events and the more polarizing parts of afghan history will certainly not be uncritically accepted by afghans and foreigners alike, the author largely plays it. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, as well as. 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. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union.

The photos, starting in 1988, span afghanistans immediate postsoviet era, the agonizing civil war of the 1990s, the period of taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, the u. The trail went deep inside afghanistan in the decisive phase of the cold war in the 1980s. In early january 1988, 39 soviet paratroopers were positioned on a cliff overlooking the gardezkhost road in southeastern afghanistan. Why was the soviet invasion of afghanistan significant in. What is most important to the history of the world. Where the indian subcontinent collides with eurasia, the slowmotion conflict of geologic plates has given birth to the highest mountain chain in the world, the himalayas. When i was interviewing veterans of the sovietafghan war for my doctorate, many and horrifying were the accounts of parties fueled by aftershave, rosewater, and rubbing alcohol. Russians knew that there is no way to talk afgans into any intelligent conflict resolution in a peaceful manner. President trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists. Foreign mujahidin would take shelter in rural areas and villages. At the end of december 1979, 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 cold war 19451990 looking zooks in the eye trumans 1947 policy of containment, the theory the communist governments would eventually fail. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned. Crippled the economies of the soviet union and the united states. Oct 10, 2006 the afghan civil war despite the geneva accords and the withdrawal of soviet forces, civil war continued in afghanistan as the mujahadeen continued to fight the government of soviet backed najibullah. Understanding that the soviet unions troublesome economic and international situation was complicated by its involvement in the afghan war, gorbachev had decided to seek a withdrawal from afghanistan and had won the support of the politburo to do so by october 1985 193. Svetlana alexievich brings us the truth of the sovietafghan war. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the sovie. Svetlana alexievich brings us the truth of the soviet afghan war. Afghanistan and the origins of islamist terrorism, i have discussed the kgbs infiltration into afghan society in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the soviet. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. But a newly published cable underscores moscows fear that afghanistan would switch loyalties to the west. The translation of this important book, written by a general of the soviet red army, must be celebrated as a most important contribution by dr najam ul sahar butt. However, the presence of soviet troops did not have the desired effect of pacifying the country.

Afghanistan and the origins of islamist terrorism, i have discussed the kgbs infiltration into afghan society in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the soviet security services role before and after the december 1979. May 11, 2020 soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist. Why did the soviet union go to war with afghanistan. Us and a war on terror that, from the perspective of governments in washington. The soviet afghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a nineyear guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. President carter began a secret program of aid to mujahideen groups fighting the promoscow government. The nine year war between soviet army and afghan mujahideens cost over one million lives in total. Between 562,0002 million civilians were killed and millions of afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to pakistan and iran. The increased soviet defense spending and the war in afghanistan combined with a moribund economy forced the soviets to make difficult decisions.