The Soviet-Afghan War

1. The Soviet-Afghan War

2. Synopsis • The Soviet-Afghan was a nine year long conflict which involved the Soviets supporting • The PDPA held communist ideals and therefore there was resistance by the mujahideen as well as the US • Later on the resistance received aid in war from the US and some Muslim nations • The Soviet deployment began on August 7, 1978 and withdrawal took place on May 15, 1988

3. Mujahideen

4. Synopsis Cont’d • The Soviet invasion sparked a massive reaction domestically and internationally • Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan under an agreement known as the Geneva Accords, which was mediated by the UN • The war was a big issue because of it being a proxy war led by the Soviets as well the US both looking to spread their own ideals of government • The US also needed to form allies with Afghanistan as they had recently lost an important ally in neighboring Iran, and required power in that area of the world

5. Soviet Invasion, 1979

6. Proxy War • Def. a war where two powers use third parties as a supplement or a substitute for fighting each other directly • The soviet-afghan war is a proxy war because the USA and Soviet Union were the two major powers and they used third parties in Afghanistan like People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to fight for them • The Soviet Union was on the Democratic Party of Afghanistan’s side in the war and the US was on Mujahideen of Afghanistan’s side as well as Foreign Mujahideen

7. America’s Involvement • America was on the side of the mujahideen resistance as they were against the communist government of People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which were supported by the Soviets • This made it a proxy war and America supported the resistance by funding and providing weapons against the Soviets without being directly involved • The US supported the resistance as it was a huge advantage for them, and it would give them power in the middle east, which they desperately need • The invasion caused panic internationally and the United States president Jimmy Carter approved a new program of military assistance to Afghanistan’s Islamic resistance • The United States spent an estimated total of nearly $10 billion on weapons and other aid from the time of the Soviet invasion to the fall of the USSR at the end of 1991

9. The Result • Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan • 13 836 Soviet soldiers died in the conflict (many of whom died from illness) • Afghan cities numbers fell dramatically • Left the Afghan government in ruins • It failed to accomplish Afghan stability & resistance from the tribal religious groups such as the mujahideen & Taliban

10. Reflection • This war was very important in reflecting the Cold war era as it further fueled the tension between the Soviet Union and the US • Soviet Union’s plans of taking over Afghanistan were unsuccessful as the US fully supported Afghanistan in its defense against the Soviets • In the end the Soviet’s were forced to withdraw from Afghanistan leading to their loss in the Cold War

11. Reflection Tree -mujahideen’s guerrilla warfare -US & Soviet support of respective similar world governments -Geneva Accords -mediation US support of mujahideen Soured Soviet & many Muslim nations’ relations Lack of communication US as a close ally with Egypt while fighting proxy wars in Yemen, etc. Caused thousands of deaths Led to the climax of Cold War Ruined Afghan stability Trade embargo placed on Soviets by US -Loss of Iran as a U.S. Ally -Weak Afghan government Conflicts between tribal religious groups & set up Afghan government Afghan government pleading for Soviet military support Lack of communication