Mar 19, 2011 yet, as braithwaite points out in his epilogue, for all the agonies that the afghanistan episode brought a dying soviet union, it was, in soviet terms, a relatively small war. Thus, over the course of the 1980s, the soviet union spent billions of dollars into the war in afghanistan, and at its peak, more than 100,000 soviet soldiers were fighting in afghanistan. The impact of the afghansoviet war on pakistan imrana begum. The soviet war by ed girardet available from rakuten kobo. Nov 12, 2012 first published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the soviet war in afghanistan in the 1980s.
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. But the paratroopers soon left their position, the tanks below. Nik spender in graphic novel format, introduces the soviet war in afghanistan. In many ways this book attempts the same as artyom boroviks the hidden war. Existing explanations attribute the breakdown of the soviet union to the reformist leadership of gorbachev, andor.
Downing the soviet war in afghanistan 197989 has passed from being the subject of angry international debate to the object of calm historical inquiry, but given the current conflict there, the period retains a. Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan history. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Like borovik, the soldiers interviewed are primarily from the russian and government afghan side, unlike borovik, the work has not. Obsessed with fears that russia would encroach on afghan territory, the british made a number of tactical blunders in their relationship with afghanistans rulers that led to three wars and racked up three defeats.
In short order, nearly 100,000 soviet soldiers took control of major. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, invasion of afghanistan in late december 1979 by troops from the soviet union. Downing the soviet war in afghanistan 197989 has passed from being the subject of angry international debate to the object of calm historical inquiry, but given the current conflict there, the period retains a certain urgent resonance. 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. Cold war conflicts by gary jeffrey and nick spender nov 30, 20 3.
The harrison forman collection this online exhibit documents the life and culture of afghanistan in the late 1960s, several years before the soviet. The premier treatment of the full length of the soviet war in afghanistan is by artemy kalinovsky in his book, a long goodbye. This is the first book to study the impact of the war on russian politics and society. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. Aug 04, 2014 the ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished pro soviet regime in kabul. Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym. Briefing book on the soviet intervention in afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. It is also another translation from original works by the soviet genreral staff, this time a collection of papers based on their analysis of the armies performance over its extended deployment in afghanistan. But a newly published cable underscores moscows fear that afghanistan would switch loyalties to the west. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. Baumann when on 2425 december 1979 soviet forces invaded afghanistan, they intended to conduct a.
The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. The impact of the afghansoviet war on pakistan imrana. 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. Sometimes referred to as the soviets version of the vietnam war, the soviet war in afghanistan ended up being a losing battle for the soviet union, and in many ways, accelerated the dissolution of communism in the east. The ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished prosoviet regime in kabul. The soviet union, china and angloamerican intelligence in the afghan war library of middle east history only 1 left in stock more on the way. The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan. The war in afghanistan played a symbolic role, projecting an image at home and abroad of a failing empire unable to deal with a handful of bedraggled partisans in a remote part of its southern. 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. The scene sums up much of the folly of the soviet war in afghanistan. Jan 29, 2019 president trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists. This book serves a warning to statesmen on foreign policy. Coll precisely pointed out that some of our allies, like pakistan and saudi arabia, are definitely less reliable and trustworthy than some claimed. He has produced a balanced, oftensympathetic work on the soviet unions long war in afghanistan that.
The soviet war in afghanistan is a 2009 book by gregory feifer about the 19791989 sovietafghan war. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the. Steele has visited afghanistan numerous times over the past thirty years, reporting on the soviet intervention, the najibullah era, mujahedeen misrule, civil war, the rise of the taliban and the. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has. The soviet union feared the loss of its communist proxy in afghanistan. Based on extensive use of soviet official and unofficial sources, as well as work with afghan veterans, it. The book contains many rare documentary photographs of the afghanistan war in 19791989.
The breakdown of the soviet union surprised most scholars of international relations, comparative politics, and soviet politics. 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. Very detailed analysis on cia activity in afghanistan during the soviet invasion and washingtons often confusing policy on central asia. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. The afghanistan war forced the 40th army to change tactics, equipment, and training and force structure. First published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the soviet war in afghanistan in the 1980s. After the fall of the soviet union, there was a 180 degree turn in the conventional take on the afghanistan war. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Because the soviet union failed in securing afghanistan from the rebels for such a long period of time, the war is sometimes referred to as the soviet unions vietnam war. Authors attempt to explain many mysterious and dramatic moments of the war and what preceded it. January 8, 2009 the common view of the soviet war in afghanistan was that it was a soviet territorial grab. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan harvard, 2011, which both provides lessons for todays u.
This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border. 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. 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. 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. Cassidy, author of the new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords. A russian journalists account of the soviet war in afghanistan to portray the soviet war in afghanistan from a soldiers perspective. Based on a evidence of soviet diplomats, armed forces personnel, intelligence service, representative of supreme organs of government and as top officials from.
But the truth was much more confused, says gregory feifer, nprs moscow correspondent. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the sovietafghan war. Dec 12, 2014 the soviet union feared the loss of its communist proxy in afghanistan. 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. 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. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned 16. However, despite these changes, the soviet army never had enough forces in afghanistan to win. A superb book on the soviet afghan war up there with the bear went over the mountain. These enabled them to shoot down soviet helicopters and were a major turning point in the war.
All around waited islamic fundamentalists who had spent the last eight years fighting the red army and the government it had installed in kabul. 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. Setting the stage for the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The war in afghanistan, now in its ninth year and already the longest war in soviet history, has presented military analysts and soviet experts with a unique opportunity to gain insights into soviet political and operational behavior in a military conflict. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the soviet afghan war. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan 1989 national. President trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle terrorists. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th. The soviet war in afghanistan was a nineyear period involving the soviet forces and the mujahideen insurgents that were fighting to overthrow afghanistans marxist peoples democratic party of afghanistan pdpa government. Soviet invasion of afghanistan a case of mission creep, according to new book and original soviet documents october, 2012.
Yet, as braithwaite points out in his epilogue, for all the agonies that the afghanistan episode brought a dying soviet union, it was, in soviet terms, a relatively small war. Like borovik, the soldiers interviewed are primarily from the russian and government afghan side, unlike borovik, the work has not been carried out during the hostilities but afterwards. 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. In the great gamble, a groundbreaking account of the soviet invasion of afghanistan, former npr moscow correspondent. 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. Not trumps terrorists, nor zbigs warm water ports january 29, 2019. No longer were the people being fed constant propaganda downplaying the war and painting it as a noble cause, which many or most of them seemed to partly or completely buy into. Military forces and civilians a 2012 report from the congressional research service. The russians held off the attackers and got the road open. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has stri.
The sovietafghan war had an important impact in popular culture in the west, due to its scope, and the great number of countries involved. 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. Jul 10, 2017 after the fall of the soviet union, there was a 180 degree turn in the conventional take on the afghanistan war. Understanding war in afghanistan is an excellent book for journeyman students of afghanistan. The soviet unions last war was played out against the backdrop of dramatic change within the ussr. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan had help deciphering the russian general staff papers from gress, a soviet migr who served in the soviet army. Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the sovietafghan war, 19791989. Emir dost muhammad assumed power in afghanistan in 1826. Jan 04, 2019 the war in afghanistan played a symbolic role, projecting an image at home and abroad of a failing empire unable to deal with a handful of bedraggled partisans in a remote part of its southern. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union rafael reuveny and aseem prakash1 abstract. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. Mar 15, 2009 the scene sums up much of the folly of the soviet war in afghanistan.
The afghan civil war despite the geneva accords and the withdrawal of soviet forces, civil war continued in afghanistan as the mujahadeen continued. First published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. Not only does it give them a summary of afghanistans colorful geography and history, but it also presents an uptodate picture of where the war is heading and an informed discussion of. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, describes the lessons learned after ten years of war in afghanistan. Russian book afghanistan war invasion soviet propaganda. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics, operations, and armaments. The summery and point of view of the united states during the 1980s explaining the conflict that lasted over nine years. The soviet war in afghanistan in pictures, 19791989. 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.
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