The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. The influence of regional state actors in afghanistans. The first book, heroes of the age, looks at the competition within afghanistan between tribe, state and islam. Archived document, may contain errors the soviet invas. The extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history by crile, george. How did the soviet invasion of afghanistan impact the cold. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. He follows this account with a firsthand report of the 1979 invasion, and analyzes the intervention from political, military, and economic perspectives. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, as well as. Following the removal of the soviet forces, the us and its allies lost interest in afghanistan and did little to help rebuild the warravaged country or influence events there. The soviet army was driven from afghanistan 30 years ago. The influence of regional state actors in afghanistans political stability. Many suggest that the outcome will be the same for the united states as it was for the soviet unionultimate defeat at the hands of the insurgency. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from.
The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. President trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists. The union of soviet socialist republics ussr had been a major power broker and influential mentor in afghan politics, ranging from civilmilitary infrastructure to afghan society. The soviet union was supposed to be a society of true democracy, but in many ways it was no less repressive than the czarist autocracy that preceded it. The usa maintains friendly relations only with pakistan, while her relations with iran and afghanistan are antagonistic. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan five. Afghanistan may well be the watershed of soviet influence in the third world. Afghanistan scout association in 1950s the union of soviet socialist republics ussr had been a major power broker and influential mentor in afghan politics, ranging from civilmilitary infrastructure to afghan society.
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. The future penetration of the soviet influence in iran and afghanistan is assessed and probable scenarios are discussed by the seventeen contributors, who represent the military, diplomacy and academia. Books set in afghanistan showing of 112 a thousand splendid suns by. Cia covert action worked through pakistani intelligence services to reach afghani rebel groups.
The influence of the soviet union, which saw in the iranian revolution an opportunity to win a significant role in the persian gulf region, has apparently undergone a sharp decline here in the. How iran found its feet in afghanistan foreign affairs. The sovietafghan war had an important impact in popular culture in the west, due to its scope, and the great number of countries involved. Thirty years ago, the soviet union withdrew from a disastrous nineyear war in afghanistan. Jan 29, 2019 president trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists. Afghan political factions, leaders, the human rights and refugee problems.
Sovietamerican relations with pakistan, iran and afghanistan. Based on five clandestine trips into afghanistan with the resistance, the book examines why the soviets invaded in 1979 and what they were seeking to defend. Their domestic and foreignpolicy settings were influenced by the onset of the cold war in ways that produced contrasting outcomes for the two countries, helping eventually to open space for the rise of radical islamism in their politics, with impacts well beyond their. The soviet invasion of afghanistan the heritage foundation. The long conflict between the cold war superpowers turned the country into a terrorist breeding ground summary on dec. Nprs andy bowers reports that russian authorities are concerned that the influence of the fundamentalist taliban may spread beyond the borders of afghanistan into the former soviet republics of. Putins russia is repackaging that defeat as a patriotic victory. Textbooks influence view of afghan females stanford news. I really became interested in afghanistan after the soviet invasion in 1979, which pretty well came out of the blue. In afghanistan, soviets find replacing islam with communism. Pakistans role as a safe haven is remarkably consistent in both conflicts, but focusing exclusively on that similarity misses. But a newly published cable underscores moscows fear that afghanistan would switch loyalties to the west. The translatoreditor established his credentials with his first two books on this.
Iran and afghanistan were two which particularly felt its effects. Jan 04, 2019 gregory feifer is an author whose books include the great gamble. 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. Russian influence past and present contributed greatly to the current state of afghanistan. He is currently executive director of the institute of. As of this december, 40 years will have passed since the soviet union invaded afghanistana period that coincides with virtually the entire lifespan of the islamic republic of iran. Mountainous regions of afghanistan such as hazarajat and nuristan, however, were completely free of soviet influence. There was some sympathy mainly in kabul for the sovietbacked regime, but on the whole afghans were opposed to it. Islamism, the iranian revolution, and the soviet invasion.
The report focuses on armed extremism and the afghan opium economy as the two primary factors of instability. Gregory feifer is an author whose books include the great gamble. Stanford researchers show how primary school textbooks have been used to influence afghanistans youngest citizens. Roy provides the best opensource overview of the sovietera mujahidin groups in afghanistan. In 1975, when i started in inr bureau of intelligence and research, afghanistan was the site of our largest usaid u. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the. In the recent past, during the 1980s, the central intelligence agency cia played a significant role in inserting u. Throughout those four decades, tehran has struggled to protect and project its interests within the borders of. The soviet army launched a total of nine offensives against one key, guerrillaheld pass called the panjshir valley in the first five years of the war alone. History of islammodern periodafghanistan wikibooks, open. The influence of sovietera mujahidin army university press.
Nov 14, 1982 the influence of the soviet union, which saw in the iranian revolution an opportunity to win a significant role in the persian gulf region, has apparently undergone a sharp decline here in the. Soviet invasion of afghanistan project gutenberg self. I remember i finished this book flying from herat to mazaresharif in the summer of 2009. Islamism, the iranian revolution, and the soviet invasion of.
List of books and articles about soviet invasion of afghanistan. In the early 1990s, anticommunist muslim guerillas pushed out the countrys soviet leadership and, in 1996, the taliban rose to power. The reason i chose this book is that it had a revolutionary effect on the way social scientists think about civil wars in general. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic.
In particular, three different moments of russian history have led to the creation of todays afghanistan. Here the influence of john nagls learning to eat soup with a knife, is clear. The united states is fighting a talibanled insurgency in afghanistan that operates from a safe haven in pakistan. Stanford researchers show how primary school textbooks. In 1979 the world peace council explained the soviet invasion of afghanistan as an act of solidarity in the face of chinese and us aggression against afghanistan. Jun 28, 2008 predicting the soviet invasion of afghanistan. 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. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Feb 14, 2019 the soviet army was driven from afghanistan 30 years ago. First published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the soviet war in afghanistan in the 1980s. Nearly twentyfive years ago, the soviet union pulled its last troops out of afghanistan, ending more than nine years of direct involvement and. A complete analysis of the soviet intervention in afghanistan in late 1979 must wait until enough time passes for that event to be evaluated in terms of longrange soviet military and political objectives. Some writers have claimed that it also influenced nonaligned peace groups in the west, although the cia and mi5 have doubted the extent of soviet influence. The soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989.
The increased soviet defense spending and the war in afghanistan combined with a moribund economy forced the soviets to make difficult 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. A new account of the soviet unions long, hard battle in afghanistan. Agency for international development mission in the world. Analysis and chronology tom rogers greenwood pub group soviet intervention in afghanistan.
Causes, consequences and indias response arundhati roy stosius incadvent books division soviet policy toward turkey, iran, and afghanistan. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by steve coll. 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 entry of the soviet union into the country caused an immediate increase in the presence of. The intelligence communitys record douglas maceachin served as cias deputy director for intelligence from 1993 to 1995 during his thirtytwo year career at cia. The soviet war in afghanistan reprint by gregory feifer. Olivier roy, islam and resistance in afghanistan cambridge, uk. The mujahideen also held herat and kandahar much of the time. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by steve coll 4. Since 1947, afghanistan had been under the influence of the russian government and received large amounts of aid. Best iraq and afghanistan war books some of the best books out there about the wars in iraq and afghanistan.
Before 1991, the states of central asia were marginal backwaters, republics of the soviet union that played no major role in the cold war. Yes, in picking five books on the war in afghanistan, i chose three books on afghanistan and two on conflict itself. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions. Part of the cold war, it was fought between soviet led afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. On of afghanistan introduction on december 27, 1979, under cover cf an ongoing soviet military buildup, heavilyarmed elements of a soviet. The russians are reportedly having second thoughts, and there is no indication that the soviet government will commit the more than halfmillion troops which would probably be needed to firmly establish control in a tiny country of fewer than eighteen million inhabitants. The cold war profoundly affected the fate of many states. Throughout those four decades, tehran has struggled to protect and project its interests within the borders of its tumultuous eastern neighbor. Cold war conflicts by gary jeffrey and nick spender nov 30, 20 3. The researchers say its evidence of how a nation can use textbooks to influence childrens view on womens place in society. The ussr continued to support president najibullah former head of the afghan secret service, khad until 1992 when new russian government refused to sell oil products. The soviet intervention in afghanistan by alfred l.
Russia has influenced afghanistan both directly and indirectly. Even before the soviet invasion in 1979, the afghan government had tried to promote an acceptance of communist ideology among the afghans, according to afghan refugees in pakistan. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen. Nov 12, 2012 first published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the soviet war in afghanistan in the 1980s. In the 1980s, many afghans were russian language proficient. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century.
Kennedy school of government, from 1995 to 1997, subsequently. Braithwaite describes how public opinion in the soviet union soon turned against the war. History of islammodern periodafghanistan wikibooks. Soviet influence in iran shows a sharp decline the. Afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by.
This report explores the influence of regional state actors in afghanistans political stability post2001. Afghan political factions, leaders, the human rights and refugee problems, diplomatic efforts to settle conlict, and soviet measures to repress the afghans. Soviet influence in iran shows a sharp decline the new york. 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 russianukrainian film the 9th company, for example, became a blockbuster in the former ussr earning millions of dollars and also representing a new trend in russia in which some domestic films are drawing russian audiences away from hollywood staples. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war.
In 2009, the bbc republished a soviet booklet on afghanistan first published in 1987, giving vital tips to internationalist soldiers and officers. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the. The influence which the resistance exercised in the afghan army helped to subvert soviet efforts in afghanistan, contributed to tensions between kabul and soviet strategists, and sabotaged the overall strategy for consolidating communist control over the country. The soviet war in afghanistan graphic modern history. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the foreign mercenaries, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist.
In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Afghanistan was becoming a source of trouble in the soviet central asian republics griffin. Soldiers upon completion of their service in afghanistan in kabul. Books on afghanistan history and culture rare and out of. Nov 06, 2017 the researchers say its evidence of how a nation can use textbooks to influence childrens view on womens place in society. The soviet ussr intervention in afghanistan from 19791989 was a long drawn out conflict that bled supposedly unending soviet resources, and ultimately helped lead to a global shift in power. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. Maceachin was an officer in residence at harvard universitys john f. The soviet defeat changed the course of world politics.
822 1016 369 31 185 737 664 505 1111 843 771 1504 1441 368 674 595 1051 1028 220 1167 890 859 354 305 614 513 773 357 1370 1050 1239 1095 1285 604 1365 403 273 646 317 1352