Jan 14, 2014 afghanistan s secret billion dollar emerald mines duration. 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. Jan 12, 2017 in 1979, soviet troops entered afghanistan and for the next decade the ussr was mired in a conflict that eventually caused the country to unravel. This is a provocative and important book, telling us what the soviet military was thinking and feeling as it lost its war in afghanistan. The author of this book was the british ambassador to the ussr and then the russian federation but i highly appreciate his objective approach throughout the book which is about the causes of soviet involvement in afghanistan right up till the withdrawal of the troops and its aftermath from the russian point of view. The conflict had its origins in the 1978 coup that overthrew afghan president sardar muhammad daud khan, who had come to power by ousting the king in 1973. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. Recently i received a 1991 book entitled combat actions of soviet forces in the republic of afghanistan. Jan 04, 2019 the truth about the soviet war in afghanistan. In december 1979, in the midst of the cold war, the soviet 40th army invaded afghanistan in order to prop up the communist government of the peoples democratic party of afghanistan against a growing insurgency. Robert young peltons, the worlds most dangerous places.
Phillips work that should make these books attractive to readers interested in the armed forces of the warsaw pact. Written by someone familiar with the ussr and russia this book does not have. President trump claimed the soviet union went to war in 1979 to battle. Dec 20, 2019 on december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978. The soviet union feared the loss of its communist proxy in afghanistan. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. On of afghanistan introduction on december 27, 1979, under cover cf an ongoing soviet military buildup, heavilyarmed elements of a soviet. Soviet occupation not only proved a major trauma for the people of afghanistan. If anything, this was even more the case in soviet times when the very difficulties of getting hold of booze acted as a spur to. The first stage of the project, consisting of soil drainage survey. The soviet afghanistan war was fought between afghanistan rebels called the mujahideen and the soviet supported afghanistan government. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned dave shunk 26 december 2008 col dave shunk, usaf, ret. Next, we outline the role of the afghanistan war in the breakdown of the soviet union and provide evidence in support of our contention.
The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. The soviet tenyear debacle 197989 in afghanistan has generated a growing literature represented recently by diego cordovez and selig harrisons out of afghanistan. I learned more about the details of this war in a single chapter from this book than i have in all the other books combined. This is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a. The soviet intervention in afghanistan by alfred l. Printed books are making a comeback and while these three titles lack the glitz of the kind produced by the bestknown military specialist publishers, there is a substance to mr. An outstanding and highly readable account of the soviet union in afghanistan. 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. John nicholson has reiterated charges that the kremlin is.
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 soviet war in afghanistan is a 2009 book by gregory feifer about the 19791989 sovietafghan war. In early january 1988, 39 soviet paratroopers were positioned on a cliff overlooking the gardezkhost road in southeastern afghanistan. The extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history by crile, george. In late december 1979, the soviet union invaded afghanistan. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan book, 1989 worldcat. The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the bear went over the mountain. 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. Afghan political factions, leaders, the human rights and refugee problems, diplomatic efforts to settle conlict, and soviet measures to repress the afghans.
In his 1995 book about the intervention, the tragedy and valor of afghanistan, gen. Steve coll is a writer for the new yorker and author of the pulitzer prize winning ghost wars. How to visit afghanistans wakhan corridor safety, visas. Existing explanations of the soviet unions breakdown. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th. This is the 7th book on the sovietafghan war ive read, and lester grau kept up his reputation with this book for historical investigative detail. It was a oneparty state governed by the communist party, with moscow as its. While such books are extremely valuable, they do not provide an overall treatment of the war and its relevance to the wider world. Commander in afghanistan accuses russia of aiding taliban.
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 life of both sides were mainly miserable and the fighting was ruthless. The books that do exist often derive from the experiences of a particular journalist or soldier. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978.
Kakars book is the best available history of the beginnings of the catastrophe. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by steve coll. Secretly keeping a detailed journal and photographic record of his combat missions in the mountais, tamarov. The war in afghanistan twenty eight years ago russian army has entered afghanistan. The book contains information on the soviet forces, the army of the democratic republic of afghanistan dra and the many mujahideen groups. Previously he served, for more than twenty years, as a reporter, foreign correspondent, and. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the. In this book, the author demonstrates how futile, mistaken and deeply. 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. They stayed there for 9 years and more than 15,000 russian soldiers were lost dead, much more were wounded or had psychological problems in their civil life later. In 1979 the soviet union moved from military help to active intervention in afghanistan. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Oct 04, 2007 invasione sovietica dell afghanistan 19791989 behind the taliban mask.
The soviet experience is a 1989 documentary film produced and directed by jeff b. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan kindle edition by grau, lester w download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. 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. Prior to 1973, afghanistan had been a monarchy originally established in the mideighteenth century by ahmad shah durrani, resting atop a much older and notably stubborn tribal power structure. Prodotto da itn nel 1990, uscito alcuni anni dopo in italia, distribuito da armando curcio editore. Fourfifths of the afghan national army deserted in the first year of the war, which, compounded with the spread and intensification of the rebellion led by the formidable guerrilla fighters of the mujahideen, forced the soviets to intensify their involvement. Presents analysis absolutely vital to western policymakers, as well as to political.
The cold war documentary greatest military clashes duration. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. The united states supported the afghanistan rebels in order to try and overthrow the communist government and to prevent the spread of communism. The 4x4 journey to sarhad navigates some of the roughest roads ive ever seen. Popular afghanistan war books meet your next favorite book. From 2000 to 2012, he was the governor of moscow oblast. 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. In his enlightening and refreshing book, largely based on russian sources. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the. The author of this book was the british ambassador to the ussr and then the russian federation but i highly appreciate his objective approach throughout the book which is about the causes of soviet involvement in afghanistan right up till the withdrawal of the troops and its. It tells the stories of officers and soldiers serving in various units of the soviet armed forces just prior to their withdrawal from afghanistan, after the signing of the geneva accords. Few people are more respected or better positioned to speak on the soviet invasion of afghanistan than m.
In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001, he is president of the new america foundation, a public policy institute in washington, d. The final and complete withdrawal of soviet combatant forces from afghanistan began on 15 may 1988 and ended on 15 february 1989 under the leadership of colonelgeneral boris gromov planning for the withdrawal of the soviet union ussr from the afghanistan war began soon after mikhail gorbachev became the general secretary of the central committee of the communist party of the soviet union. John nicholson has reiterated charges that the kremlin is providing. A digital reproduction is available from eeditions, a collaboration of the university of california press and the california digital librarys escholarship program.
In short order, nearly 100,000 soviet soldiers took control of major. Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym. In the context of the cold war, this move initially caused a considerable surprise and excitement in the west, as it was seen as an indirect threat for the situation in the persian gulf, especially after the us lost their most important ally in the area, the shah of iran, which was overthrown in february of the same year. Despite grievous mistakes in planning and execution, however, the soviet war in afghanistan was no unmitigated failure. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Afghanistan s secret billion dollar emerald mines duration. Mark galeotti provides a more historical and wider view of the war. Sovietafghan war part of the cold war and the continuous afghanistan conflict mujahideen fighters in the kunar province of afghanistan in 1987 date december 24, 1979 february 15, 1989 9 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day location afghanistan result mujahideen victory soviet failure to quell the afghan mujahideen insurgency geneva accord 1988 withdrawal of soviet forces from. 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. Over boulder fields, into rivers, along the edge of cliffs, and through deep desert sand. Our beatup toyota van was equipped with crappy shocks, broken windows, and was repeatedly crippled by flat tires 5 times. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war.
Soviet air confrontations with pakistan air force, during. Afghanistan war, 197892, conflict between anticommunist muslim afghan guerrillas mujahidin and afghan government and soviet forces. If anything, this was even more the case in soviet times when the very difficulties of getting hold of booze acted as a spur to the ingenuity for which russians are also rightly known. Aug 04, 2014 the ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished prosoviet regime in kabul. Nominally a union of multiple national soviet republics, in practice its government and economy were highly centralized. Nearly ten years of bloodshed and political turmoil have followed the soviet invasion of afghanistan in 1979. No wonder that russian soldiers can be amongst the hardestcore boozers around. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. The other side of afghanistan s frontline 2010 duration. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. The soviet union, officially the union of soviet socialist republics ussr, was a federal socialist state in northern eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991 and was the largest country in the world.
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. Afghanistan, including its covert program against soviet troops from. The groundbreaking book by two russian authors the historian and journalist vladimir snegirev and the veteran of soviet foreign intelligence. The major portion of this sum has been expended on the hel mandarghandab valley project, the most vital irrigation project in the country. At the time, the united states had been making headway in the middle east at moscows expense, successfully courting egy. Understanding that the soviet unions troublesome economic and international situation was complicated by its involvement in the afghan war, gorbachev had decided to seek a withdrawal from afghanistan and had won the support of the politburo to do so by october 1985. Boozing through the sovietafghan war was more horrifying. Books set in afghanistan showing of 112 a thousand splendid suns by. When i was researching a 2009 book about the soviet war. Alexander lyakhovsky wrote that andropov and ustinov. A professor at kabul university and scholar of afghanistan affairs at the time of the 1978 coup detat, kakar vividly describes the events surrounding the soviet invasion in 1979 and the encounter between the military superpower and the poorly armed afghans. Offers a candid view of a war that played a significant role in the ultimate demise of the soviet union. Though the afghanistan war initially was visualized by soviet.