Russia in afghanistan 1979 to 1989 part 1 of 3 youtube. 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. Jan 01, 2009 the soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. Summary the air war in afghanistan has provided us with a good look at soviet war fighting methods and capabilities. He was presumed a turncoat, which carried a criminal. The soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1929 and again in 1930 to fight the basmachi movement the soviet union, along with other countries, was a direct supporter of the new afghan government after the saur revolution in april 1978. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century.
The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. In a valuable public relations gesture, the soviet union offered to buy the crops and airlift them from afghanistan. Traffic between the two countries came to a halt, just as two of afghanistan s major export crops, grapes and pomegranates, were ready to be shipped to india. Existing explanations attribute the breakdown of the soviet union to the reformist leadership of gorbachev, andor. With a couple exceptions, i found braithwaites history of the soviet experience very compelling.
The soviet threat to afghanistan and india 19381940 jstor. In 1979, the soviets invaded and occupied afghanistan, a small country in central asia. The soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time. 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.
It is located next to the ancient city of bagram, 11 kilometres 6. Dec 23, 2004 the soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time since world war ii that organized soviet troops had been sent outside the bloc or cuba. Dec 20, 2019 on december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the soviet afghan friendship treaty of 1978. In 1979, the soviets had illsuited uniforms and inferior fighting tactics, and found it impossible to defeat the popular afghan guerrilla army. Dec 12, 2014 the soviet union feared the loss of its communist proxy in afghanistan. I certainly count it a great privilege to have served under the only general in pakistans short history to have masterminded a victory in a major war and earn a name for his military genius. The sovietafghan war lasted over nine years, from december 1979 to february 1989. 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 soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan to counter the american alliance with pakistan beginning in 1954. The soviets built much of afghanistans road network including the salang tunnel and airfields. However, sovietstyle reforms introduced by the government such as changes in marriage customs and land reform were not received well by a population. I believe that pakistan and afghanistan owe a debt of gratitude to him. 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.
Aug 04, 2014 the soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989. Soviet troops operated from shindand airbase in western afghanistan during the 1980s. The united states will soon surpass the soviet tenure in afghanistan, and one has to wonder what our legacy will look like 20 years from now. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978. Mohammad yousaf mark adkin the bear trap afghanistans. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics, operations, and armaments. 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 first official deployment of the soviet army into the kingdom of afghanistan began dec. 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. 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.
Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union rafael reuveny and aseem prakash1 abstract. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, describes the lessons learned after ten years of war 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 mujahideen. A comprehensive study of both sides in the afghan war. The scene sums up much of the folly of the soviet war in afghanistan. Oct 10, 2006 the first official deployment of the soviet army into the kingdom of afghanistan began dec. A year after the soviet army arrived in afghanistan, its force of mi24s had increased fourfold to 240 and six airfields were reported to be under construction for further consolidation and, claimed the usa, to provide a springboard for subsequent adventures farther to the south. The soviet union supported the government while the rebels found support from a variety of sources including the.
In late december 1979, the soviet union invaded afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan in pictures, 19791989. Douglas maceachin served as cias deputy director for intelligence from 1993 to 1995 during his thirtytwo year career at cia. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan and the united kingdom making it a cold war proxy war.
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. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. The intense images of afghanistans long and distant war photojournalist robert nickelsberg has been documenting afghanistan since 1988. Rodric braitwaite is a historian who also served as the uk ambassador to the ussr during the closing days of the soviet occupation of afghanistan. The soviet invasion of afghanistan the heritage foundation. Eight decades of realpolitik herman j cohens latest book. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Mar 15, 2009 the scene sums up much of the folly of the soviet war in afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan reprint by gregory feifer isbn. Six afghan airfields probably can handle longrange, heavy transports. Secretly keeping a detailed journal and photographic record of his combat missions in the mountais, tamarov captured the fear, futility, and violence of an insane war. Afghanistan and pakistan severed relations on september 6, 1961. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than. During the 1980s sovietafghan war, it played a key role, serving as a base of operations for.
The soviet intervention in afghanistan by alfred l. Soviet troops ultimately withdrew from the area between may 15, 1988 and february 2, 1989. On 15 february 1989, the soviet army withdrawal from afghanistan was completed, marking the end of the nearly decadelong soviet afghan war. Army, air force, navy, marine corps and coast guard. The russians in afghanistan, 197989 main by braithwaite, sir rodric isbn. Kennedy school of government, from 1995 to 1997, subsequently becoming a senior at the kennedy school. The insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, 9 as well as weapons and billions of dollars from the united states, united kingdom, saudi arabia. 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 intense images of afghanistans long and distant war. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th.
Use the links below to read detailed information about airports in afghanistan. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, and. The soviet union feared the loss of its communist proxy in afghanistan. To establish air supremacy, the luftwaffe began immediate attacks on soviet airfields, destroying much of the forwarddeployed soviet air force airfield fleets consisting of largely obsolescent types before their pilots had a chance to leave the ground. Jul 31, 2016 this is the unique story of gennadynikmamat, a former soviet soldier who was captured by the mujahideen during the soviet war in afghanistan. Preface at the start of this book, which tells the story of my part in the afghan jehad, i want to acknowledge the debt i, and indeed pakistan and the mujahideen owe to the silent soldier. The soviet union officially announced that all of its troops had left afghanistan on february 15. Exactly 30 years ago the last units of the soviet limited military contingent left afghanistan. Kabul international airport, soyuz tm6, abdul ahad mohmand, interkosmos, bagram airfield, and naghlu dam. 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. Between 1999 and 2001, the taliban and the northern alliance struggled for control of the. The breakdown of the soviet union surprised most scholars of international relations, comparative politics, and soviet politics.
Soviet war in afghanistan project gutenberg selfpublishing. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan had help deciphering the russian general staff papers from gress, a soviet migr who served in the soviet army. The soviet union invaded afghanistan 25 years ago this month the first time since world war ii that organized soviet troops had been sent outside the bloc or cuba. Bagram air base is operated jointly by the united states army and air force. It has a dual runway capable of handling large military aircraft, including the lockheed martin c5 galaxy and antonov an225.
Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. This revived tensions between the united states and the soviet union and helped usher in what many dubbed the second cold war. Part of the cold war, it was fought between sovietled afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen. The ussrs invasion of afghanistan in december 1979 provided a rare opportunity to. Sovicts deploy an an12 squadron lo bagrain airfield. The soviet invasion of afghanistan was a 10year which war wreaked incredible havoc and destruction on afghanistan. Mujahideen fighters in afghanistan during the soviet occupation of the early 1980s. Mohammad yousaf mark adkin the bear trap afghanistans untold story the bear trap afghanistans untold story mohammad yousaf mark adkin. Maceachin was an officerinresidence at harvard universitys john f. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union.
This conflict illustrates several lessons which the marine corps should study. The soviet general staff must have been quite knowledgeable about the geography, economy, sociology and military forces of afghanistan. Soviet air confrontations with pakistan air force during soviet afghan war. Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the sovietafghan war, 19791989. 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. 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.
Soviet air confrontations with pakistan air force during sovietafghan war. History bagram airfield was used by soviet troops between 1979 and 1989. Bagram airfieldbaf also known as bagram air base iata. Coalition forces and civilians complete the constitution of the base. Baumann when on 2425 december 1979 soviet forces invaded afghanistan, they intended to conduct a. Soviet troops operated from shindand airbase in western. Secretly keeping a detailed journal and photographic record of his combat missions in the mountais, tamarov captured. The origins and conduct of the war and the operational organisation of soviet forces are discussed.
The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. The books structure and style mean that feifer adds little. This is the unique story of gennadynikmamat, a former soviet soldier who was captured by the mujahideen during the soviet war in afghanistan. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the. The book makes extensive use of soviet archival sources and 1st person interviews. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. Oct, 2012 soviet invasion of afghanistan a case of mission creep, according to new book and original soviet documents the dead end published in english for the first time national security archive electronic briefing book no. In this second part of a twopart interview by government book talk blog editor michele bartram, col. Cassidy, author of the new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords. To book a cheap flight from afghanistan, choose from the list of flights from afghanistan below, or use the. Bagram airfield baf also known as bagram air base iata. The event marked the beginning of the end to a long, bloody, and fruitless soviet occupation of afghanistan.
Soviet support for afghan communists eventually led to the war in afghanistan. Sputnik looks back at the soviet campaign, the consequences of which continue to affect russia and all the parties involved in the afghan peace process. Soviet air confrontations with pakistan air force, during. Bagram was regarded as the most critical air base in the country, with the greatest concentration of aircraft and air force personnel, along with an independent regiment and a brigade from the 108th kabulbased mrd. A deserter from the 1980s soviet war in afghanistan dreamed for. Afghanistan airports list of airports in afghanistan. Analysis of improvements occurring at airfields in afghanistan suggests that they are probably intended to support new aircraft dcliveries, expand. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the sovietafghan war. Tamarov was a member of the soviet unions airborne assault force and served on the front lines in afghanistan as part of a minesweeping team. The shooting war is generally held to have started december 24, 1979. A retrospective in kabul from his book, a distant war.
Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. Soviet invasion of afghanistan a case of mission creep, according to new book and original soviet documents the dead end published in english for the first time national security archive electronic briefing book no. Soviet economic and military advisers had been a constant feature in afghanistan since 1950. This paper is based on my forthcoming book, india in axis strategy.
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