Soviet Experience in Afghanistan

History 12 Ms Leslie

Why?

    Strategic importance In 19th century Russia and UK had tried to spread influence there Borders touch USSR Soviet policy to expand

 1973 Daoud had gained power in Afghanistan  Suppressed opposition parties  Attacked Islamic Fundamentalists

   1978 a coup over threw Sarder Mohammed Daoud, replacing it with a pro-Soviet government under

Nur Mohammad Taraki

renamed the country the People’s Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Taraki was opposed by Muslims.

 September 1979, Taraki was killed in another coup by Hafizullah Amin.  A soviet-sponsored counter-coup followed in December, led by

Babrak Karmal

, (puppet government) 1979-86

   The West and China and India were alarmed – it looked the the USSR was trying to take over the Persian gulf. As a result, the USA and others boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

The invasion of Afghanistan is seen at the end of

Detente

.

 attitude of many Afghanis to the governments after Daoud was hostile – especially orthodox Muslims, who opposed socialist policies.  The Muslim fundamentalists were also encouraged by events in Iran and Pakistan, where Islamization was taking place.  Soon skirmishing between religious fundamentalists and government forces complicated the domestic political situation.

2 Reasons USSR cares about Afghanistan

1. Most importantly, they feared the rising tide of Muslim fundamentalists – having a very large Muslim population within their own borders. Anti-Soviet broadcasts on Iranian radio were bad enough.

2.No nation feels secure with chaos and civil war on its border. The Soviets wanted to restore central authority and they felt that the pro-Soviet Babrak Karmal was the logical choice

War 1980-88

 USSR had 2000 tanks and squadrons of aircraft supporting their war effort.  the rebels (Mujahedin) controlled the country through guerilla warfare.

Mujahedin

    Freedom fighters Praised by US Presidents Aided by the

Reagan Doctrine

Sabotage tactics - included damaging power lines, knocking out pipelines and radio stations, blowing up government office buildings, air terminals, hotels, cinemas

   1985 through 1987, an average of over 600 "terrorist acts" a year were recorded.  launch 800 rockets per day. they carried out over 23,500 shelling attacks on government targets.

used land mines heavily Assassinated government officials

   USA, UK and Saudi Arabia became major financial contributors, the United States donating $600 million in aid per year, USA also gave anti-aircraft missiles The People's Republic of China also sold tanks, assault rifles, to mujahidin

Reagan Doctrine - 1985

  Reversal of ‘containment’  policy of supporting anti-Communist insurgents wherever they might be In Asia, Latin America and Africa

Things the Soviets didn’t count on

1. A decade long war 2. Their largely Muslim Central Asian forces were reluctant to fight their Muslim Afghani brethren, they had to he replaced by European Soviet units 3. Rebels are used to guerilla warfare against Iran and Pakistan

 1/3 of Afghanis displaced = people for rebels to recruit.  The US began to arm the rebels, with increasingly sophisticated equipment.  Rebels who had first fought using homemade rifles or antique hunting weapons now carried ‘stinger’ hand-held anti-aircraft missiles and the latest in anti-tank weapons

  By 1985 there were 100,000 Soviet troops in Afghanistan By 1987 Karmal was replaced by the completely Soviet controlled

Mohammad Najibullah.

(he’s assassinated in 1996 by the Taliban)

The war drags on

  Hundreds of thousands of troops saw service. Equipment losses and human casualties climbed relentlessly along with the scale of American aid to the resistance

 Despite there being no agreement between Babrak and the resistance over Afghanistan’s future, Gorbachev began to pull out in May 1988  entire 115,000 troop presence gone by February 15, 1989.

   Soviets experienced terrible losses The loss of the war was an embarrassment long term effects of having to cope with the social side-effects of the campaign – the drug dependency problems of returning soldiers – will prove as costly to the soviet successor states as Vietnam did to America.

 Soviet, American and Chinese equipment have flooded into the region since 1979  Outside interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan has created conditions vastly more dangerous to the Afghani people themselves and to all neighbouring countries

Similarities with Vietnam

1. native population was largely against foreign forces 2. Home population not informed to what their troops are doing 3. Guerilla forces (Mujahedin vs Viet cong) 4. Had to cope with disillusioned forces

5. World public opinion turned rapidly against both foreign invaders 6. withdrew in less then glorious circumstances. armies were discredited.

7. Mujahedin hid in caves, Viet Cong hid in tunnels.

Damage to Afghanistan

   1 million killed 7 million displaced 4 million disabled/injured  Irrigation systems bombed  10-15 million landmines left behind

Refugee camps

Landmine victims

      USA did not help reconstruct, instead handed over Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan They logged all but 2% of forests Created opium farms Country plunged into civil war Taliban takes over in 1996-2001 End :)