The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989 ultimately ended in stalemate, with the Soviets forced to withdraw after heavy losses. The invasion was an attempt to spread communism and create a friendly eastern state, but faced resistance from conservative Muslim Afghans opposed to Marxist rule. Guerilla warfare by Afghan mujahideen fighters weakened the Soviets over time and drove them to withdraw in 1989, though Afghanistan remained unstable. The costly war contributed to the decline and fall of the Soviet Union.

1. Soviet Invasion of
Afghanistan
1979-1989
By Karen Ni and Kavita Shah
D Block

2. General Overview
• Began in 1979 when the
Soviets invaded
Afghanistan
• Afghans carried out
guerrilla warfare that
ultimately drives Soviets
out
• Ended in stalemate-
Soviets forced to withdraw
• Ceasefire: 1988,
• Soviet withdrawal: 1989

3. Long Term Causes
• Soviets trying to spread
Communism to
neighboring countries
• Wanted to create
friendly eastern states.
• Would open up trade
with Asian nations
• Marxist government in
Afghanistan is being
opposed by majority of
Afghans.

4. Short Term Causes
• 1978- Marxist government placed in Afghanistan by
the PDPA (People's Democratic Party of
Afghanistan)
• Actions were unpopular with the conservative
Afghans
• Saw the Marxist ideals as a threat to the Afghan
religion and customs
• Soviets wanted to maintain the Communist
government – invaded in 1979 to intervene

5. Soviet Perceptions
• Soviet people were told
that the war was meant
to free the Communists
living in Afghanistan
• Communism entails
atheism.
• believed that the
Afghans (mostly
Muslims) need to be
liberated from their
ignorance

6. Soviet Motivations
• Successful invasion of
Afghanistan would allow
puppet state set up
through control of Kabul.
• Geographic benefits:
1. Access of Indian ocean
through India.
2. Trade with India and its
large population
3. Natural resources: iron
Soviet soldiers in Kabul
ore, natural gas, uranium,
copper

7. Afghan Motivations/Perceptions
• Majority were Muslims-
conflicting with the
atheist teachings of
Communism
• Saw the Soviets
invasion as a threat to
their culture and
religion- engage in
“jihad” or “holy war”.

8. Events
• Taraki Regime in place in Afghanistan
o Terror used to reduce threat from opponents
• Leaders launch a jihad against communism
o Afghanistan delving into civil war and USSR starts
to worry
 Brezhnev Doctrine: Right of the Soviet Union
to militarily get involved to prevent the overthrow
of a neighboring communist government
• Soviets quickly seize Kabul as well as other major
Afghan cities and highways
o Mujaheedeen forces use guerilla warfare to oppose
Soviet influence.

9. Events
• President Jimmy Carter
believes that the Soviet's
action was a "blatant
violation of accepted
international rules of
behavior"
• Limited his sales with the
USSR and restricted fishing
privileges in the U.S.
waters.
o Following Carter,
Reagan despised the
Soviets even more,
referring to them as the
"evil empire."

10. Events
• With these oppositions, the USSR was struggling to
survive in the war
o Mujaheedeen got foreign assistance from the US
• 1983- US, UK, Saudi Arabia, PRC become
supporters for Afghanistan.
• Weapons supplied through Pakistan.
• 1985- closed in on Kabul (gov ruled by
Moscow)
• 1986- US and UK supplied antiaircraft
missles and ground to ground rockets that allowed
Mujahideen to shoot down Soviet aircrafts.
• 1989- Soviet government withdrew troops

11. Events
• In 1988, the Soviet
Union, now with the
leadership of Mikhail
Gorbachev agreed to
withdraw the Soviet
troops within a 10 month
period.
1989- Soviet government
withdrew troops from Soviet tanks withdraw from Afghanistan
Afghanistan- mujahideen
take over Kabul.

12. Mujahideen
• Afghan resistance
fighters against
Soviet forces and the
Soviet controlled
Kabul government
• made up of seven
Sunni political Mujaheedeen soldiers
factions and eight
Shiite
organizations in
Afghanistan.

13. Mujahideen (Cont.)
• Originally divided by regional,
sectarian, political and tribal
ties.
• Not very united at the
beginning of Soviet’s
invasion
• Organized in local tribal
militias.
• No central structure.
• March 1980- formed Islamic
Alliance for the Liberation of
Afghanistan for international
recognition and support.

14. Foreign Aid
• other participants included volunteers from neighboring
middle east and north african countries.
• Initially trained/funded by Pakistan’s Inter-service
intelligence (ISI)
• Later supported by US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Iran, PRC (china),
and Sunni nations.
• 1983- US, UK, Saudi Arabia, PRC become supporters for
Afghanistan.
Weapons supplied through Pakistan.
• 1986- US and UK supplied antiaircraft missiles and ground
to ground rockets that allowed Mujahideen to shoot down
Soviet aircrafts.

15. Mujahideen Soldiers

16. Short Term Effects (Afghans)
• 1 million Afghans died.
• 5 million Afghans (refugees) fled to
neighboring countries (mainly
Pakistan)
• Afghanistan destabilized

17. Short Term Effects (Soviet)
• 14,000 Soviet
soldiers killed.
• Soviets lost 1000
pieces of
equipment and
450 aircrafts
• Soviet Casualties=
50,000 Soviet tanks withdrawing from
Afghanistan after suffering heavy
losses

18. Long Term Effects
• Costed Soviet Union
billions of dollars of debt
which severely weakened
the Soviet Union.
• Contributed to the fall of
the Soviet Union
• Afghanistan is brought to
a state of civil unrest
(even today)
• Soviets authorities
became questioned by its War in Afghanistan 2001
people which weakened
their empire.

19. Soviet Tanks Withdrawal

20. Soviet Troops leaving Afghanistan
1989

21. Key Questions

22. Explain why Afghanistan’s Marxist
government (took power in 1978) was
unpopular with many Muslims.
•
• The Marxist government was unpopular with the
Muslims primarily because of the conflicting beliefs of
the two groups of people. First of all, Marxist teachings
entail an atheistic point of view on religion. The
Muslims living in Afghanistan were extremely
conservative and religious, thus opposed Marxist
teachings. Secondly, when the socialist government
was set up in Afghanistan in 1978, social reforms were
issued that directed conflicted with Muslim culture. For
example, women, who in Islamic teachings are inferior
to men, were given equal rights as men. Dress and the
education system were also "westernized" causing
upset in the conservative Muslims.

23. Explain how the USSR became involved in a war in
—
Afghanistan (1979-1988)?
Before the USSR had become involved in the war in
Afghanistan, a commitment to the Brezhnev Doctrine was
established. This doctrine stated that the Soviet Union
would get involved if a friendly communist government was
being overthrown and try to prevent any consequences.
So, as Afghanistan delved into civil war in 1979, the USSR
was obliged help and pursued towards a military
intervention. This assistance consisted of not only 4,500
combat advisers released by Leonid Brezhnev but also
Soviet aircrafts that were ready to conduct bombing raids.
This doctrine was the point of instigation that led the USSR
to becoming involved.

24. What were the obstacles that made the war
unwinnable for the Soviets?
The Soviets faced several obstacles making their chances at
winning the war not possible. The first obstacle occurred at the
end of January of 1980 as the Soviet units began to seize Afghan
cities and major highways. After securing these locations, the
Mujahedeen began to resort to guerilla warfare. The Mujahedeen
were essentially the Afghan rebel groups who fought against
Soviet influence. As the war continued, confrontations with
guerilla warfare cause the confidence of the Soviets to decrease
while the confidence of the Afghans increased. To make matters
worse, the US began providing foreign assistance to the
mujaheeden with the providing of transport vehicles, weaponry
such as missile launchers and food. With all this assistance, the
usage of chemical weapons or more troops for the Soviets would
not help at all. Eventually in the April of 1988, the Soviet troops
had withdrawn.

25. How did the war end? What was the effect of
the war on Afghanistan? On the Soviet
Union?
•
• The war ended in 1989 through a stalemate with both sides
suffering heavy losses. The Soviets withdrew in 1989.
• The war caused the death of 1 million Afghans, and fleeing
of 5 million Afghans to neighboring countries. Afghanistan,
as a result of the war, entered a state of civil instability,
which still continues into present day.
• The war caused 50,000 Soviet casualties and loss of 1000
pieces of equipment and 450 aircrafts. As a result of the
war, Soviets were in billions of dollars of debt, which
severely weakened the USSR. Their losses also caused
the people to question the Soviet’s authority. It is arguably
the factor that caused the downfall of the Soviet Union.

26. Bibliography
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Pierpaoli, Paul G. “Cold War (Consequences).” World at War: Understanding
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