Soviet war in afghanistan history book

The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. This is probably the definitive work on the history of us involvement in the afghanistan war against the soviets and the resulting blowback. This is one of the most persistent myths of afghan history. Gregory feifer is an author whose books include the great gamble. Before the war as one of its bordering neighbors, the soviet union had a long history of supporting and providing aid to afghanistan. Two soviet soldiers taken prisoner by the afghan resistance. Afghanistan history soviet occupation, 19791989 cartoons and comics. Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan history. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. Ussr organized a massive military airlift into kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and 3 divisions of almost 8,500 men each. Macroyan, a corruption of the russian word for microcomplex, offers a micro history of afghanistan s four decades of war. Back on the frontline ross joins the american troops ross kemp extreme world duration.

How did the soviet invasion of afghanistan impact the cold. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Within two days, soviet forces secured kabul, deploying a special soviet assault unit against darul aman palace, where elements of the afghan army loyal to hafizullah amin put up. British royal marines take part in the clearance of nade ali district of helmand province. Trump as he negotiates an end to the united states own war in afghanistan, now 17 years old. According to a 2005 report of the afghanistan justice project. The sovietafghan war 197989 essential histories book 75 and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Dec 25, 2019 that is definitely the case for afghanistan, as a single country, too. List of books and articles about soviet invasion of afghanistan. In this second part of a twopart interview by government book talk blog editor michele bartram, col. The documents presented below provide an insight into some of the most important aspects of the soviet decision making on the afghan war from the. Essays trace the history of afghanistan, the rise of the taliban, major terms and definitions related to the war, and current developments in the war. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries. But while this is a good nonfiction book i would recommend everyone read, a surprising amount of information in here is not very astonishing.

In total 14,453 soviet soldiers died during the afghan war. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war, by lester grau and ali ahmad jalali. Not only does it give them a summary of afghanistan s colorful geography and history, but it also presents an uptodate picture of where the war is heading and an informed discussion of the range of choice for afghanistan and its allies. 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. Excavations of prehistoric sites by louis dupree and others at darrae kur in 1966 where 800 stone implements were recovered along with a fragment of neanderthal right temporal bone, suggest that early humans were living in what is now afghanistan at least 52,000 years ago. 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. Afghanistan 1979 the war that changed the world youtube. War in afghanistan 2001present part of the larger afghanistan conflict, and the global war on terrorism.

The soviet afghan 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. A soviet soldier runs for cover, as his armored car comes under fire from muslim rebels, near the town of herat, on february, 1980. 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. 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 entry of the soviet union into the country caused an immediate increase in the presence of. Afghanistan history soviet occupation, 19791989 comic books, strips, etc. In contrast, the soviet invasion of afghanistan in late december 1979 followed the seizure of power in kabul by a cluster of prosoviet communists twenty months earlier. In this late april 1988 photo, soviet soldiers observe the highlands, while fighting islamic guerrillas at an undisclosed location in afghanistan. Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym. Offering a candid view of a war that played a significant role in the ultimate demise of the soviet union, this book presents analysis absolutely vital to western policymakers, as well as to political, diplomatic, and military historians, and anyone interested in russian and soviet history. 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. In kabuls heart, soviet towers harbor decades of tales. Im interested in history especiall military history and am looking to expand my library.

Im sure there are a lot of books covering the afghanistan war against the soviets in general and with some good topics about usa intervention. 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. Afghanistan war, 197892, conflict between anticommunist muslim afghan guerrillas mujahidin and afghan government and soviet forces. Built for pro soviet afghan elites, macroyan kohna today is a. Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the sovietafghan war, 19791989.

The last soviet soldier to leave was lieutenant general boris gromov, leader of the soviet military operations in afghanistan at the time of the soviet invasion. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the soviet afghan war. April 20, 2018 professor ali ahmad jalali of the national defense university has written a major onevolume history of the wars in afghanistan that is both comprehensive and readable. A new account of the soviet unions long, hard battle in afghanistan. The country was already in the grip of a civil war. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. Aside from the human suffering and tragedy, there is a room to look at the beautiful aspects of afghanistan. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan, by lester grau.

To quote from ospreys web page, each essential histories book studies the origins, politics, fighting and repercussions of one major war or theatre of war, from both military and civilian perspectives. The soviet afghan 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. Jan 04, 2019 but the operative falsehood among trumps lies on wednesday was that the war in afghanistan triggered the soviet collapse. Cassidy, author of the new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords. In his new book, jonathan steele sorts the fact from the fiction.

Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, describes the lessons learned after ten years of war in afghanistan. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978. This magisterial study of the soviet nightmare in afghanistan is a lesson to us all, says sherard cowpercoles. Its a highly readable history of the conflict, which began with so. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. Soviet leader leonid brezhnev dispatched forces to support the struggling marxist government of the democratic republic of afghanistan against the islamist mujahideen resistance on december 24, 1979. Coll begins with the islamabad riot of 1979, in which thousands of islamic militants laid waste to the us embassy while zia was riding about on a bicycle distributing unrelated leaflets, and accompanied by much of his military.

Read on to understand how the war began in, but not against, afghanistan in 2001, and who the actors are now. His first published work, a revised version of his doctoral dissertation entitled operation barbarossa and germanys defeat in the east, was published by cambridge university press in 2009. Soviet authorities hailed it as a victory, but most observers felt it was a major defeat for the ussr in the cold war. Feb 27, 2019 the soviet invasion of afghanistan, 1979. Afghan and russian war veterans look back on afghanistan, the land of wonders, at the time of the soviet occupation. 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. Nor did the soviet union collapse because of the war in afghanistan. The ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished pro soviet regime in kabul.

Soviet invasion of afghanistan a case of mission creep, according to new book and original soviet documents october, 2012. Brief history of sovietafghan war wboctv 16, delmarvas. In the great gamble, a groundbreaking account of the soviet invasion of afghanistan. Mar 09, 2015 in christmas 1979, soviet paratroopers landed in kabal, the capital of afghanistan. David stahel has conclusively demonstrated that there is more to learn from the history of world war ii. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has stri. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan 1989 national. Understanding war in afghanistan is an excellent book for journeyman students of afghanistan. The soviet union supported this party and hoped to spread its. Nik spender in graphic novel format, introduces the soviet war in afghanistan. Sovietafghan war 1978 afghan jihad and pakistans role. Soviet central asians and the war in afghanistan 19791989, journal of slavic military studies 81 march 1995 pp. Afghanistan history soviet occupation, 19791989 juvenile literature. In christmas 1979, soviet paratroopers landed in kabal, the capital of 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. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 paperback december 28, 2004. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. The extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history by crile, george. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the foreign mercenaries, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. In the book shantaram by gregory david roberts, he describes his experiences fighting with the mujahideen in afghanistan. A month after the invasion, in january 1980, the author describes how a visiting soviet minister was given a historical account of britains failures. Soviet afghan war 1978 afghan jihad and pakistans role and teir impact on pakistans society. Soviet red army withdraws from afghanistan world history. To understand soviet concerns about afghanistan, it is helpful to go back to 1973, six years before the soviet invasion. The soviet union, china and angloamerican intelligence in the afghan war library of middle east history. 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. This book, the soviet afghan war 197989, by gregory fermontbarnes, is an entry in osprey publishings essential history series.

This report on the soviet army in afghanistan focuses on morale, discipline, motivation, and cohesion. Afghanistan history soviet occupation, 19791989 foreign public opinion comment on soviet intervention in afghanistan baghdad. From the persians and greeks of antiquity to the british, soviet, and american powers in modern times, outsiders have led military conquests into the mountains and plains of afghanistan, leaving their indelible marks on this ancient land at the juncture of europe, asia, and the middle east. In short order, nearly 100,000 soviet soldiers took. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, invasion of afghanistan in late december 1979 by troops from the soviet union. European influence in afghanistan first angloafghan war second angloafghan war third angloafghan war reforms of amanullah khan and civil war republic of afghanistan saur revolution democratic republic islamic state islamic emirate islamic republic afghan civil war soviet war 19791989 civil war 19891992 history of afghanistan. Apr 03, 20 just as historys lessons were dismissed as advisers begat brigades in the jungles of southeast asia, the soviet experience in afghanistan has been discarded as irrelevant to our own war by. Intelligence history remains a difficult topic to research, and the intelligence history of recent conflicts represents an object of special difficulty all. The attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans. The prime minister, hazifullah amin, tried to sweep aside muslim tradition within the nation and he wanted a more western slant to afghanistan. When history helps guide policy, it is important to get the history right. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century.

Based on scrupulous research and firsthand accounts by key government, intelligence, and military personnel both foreign and american, ghost wars details the secret history of the cia s role in afghanistan including its covert operations against soviet troops from 1979 to 1989, the rise of the taliban, the emergence of bin laden, and the failed efforts by u. The united states was, thus, deeply interested in whether the soviet union would succeed in establishing a communist government loyal to moscow in afghanistan. The written recorded history of the land presently constituting afghanistan can be traced back to around 500 bce when the area was under the achaemenid. 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. On april 27, 1978 a soviet supported communist government took over the country. The origins of the soviet invasion offer lessons for a history challenged mr. The united states has been stuck in an unwinnable quagmire in afghanistan for years, but it isnt the first global power to wage an unsuccessful war there.

Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th. 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 soviet afghan war began as midnight approached on december 24, 1979. Gregory feifers book about the soviet experience in afghanistan is the best i have read to date. The soviet war in afghanistan would only be the first stage of a now 40year long armed conflict, with changing and shifting participants and alliances, and severe consequences, above all for afghans. Most popular soviet afghanistan war movies and tv shows. The soviet invasion led to a civil war and western aid for the afghan resistance.

Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan. Its most interesting aspect is not the overall historical narrative. Just as history s lessons were dismissed as advisers begat brigades in the jungles of southeast asia, the soviet experience in afghanistan has been discarded as irrelevant to our own war. Fascinatinga highly readable history of the conflict. The soviet war in afghanistan is a 2009 book by gregory feifer about the 19791989 sovietafghan war. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by steve coll. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the. The soviet withdrawal from afghanistan harvard, 2011, which both provides lessons for todays u.

However, both events were considerably grounded in the ussoviet cold war rivalry. Aug 04, 2014 a lowflying afghan helicopter gunship in snowcapped valley along salang highway provides cover for a soviet convoy sending food and fuel to kabul, afghanistan, on january 30, 1989. The history of the us war in afghanistan thoughtco. Some of the most important documents on the soviet war in afghanistan were published in the english translation in the cold war international history project bulletin, no. As midnight approached, the soviets organized a massive military airlift into kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. I would prefer books that arent too dry but are still fairly informative. Jan 17, 2020 at that time, the soviet union and the united states were engaged in the cold war, a global competition for the fealty of other nations.

The premier treatment of the full length of the soviet war in afghanistan is by artemy kalinovsky in his book, a long goodbye. Briefing book on the soviet intervention in afghanistan. 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 in pictures, 19791989. Soviet invasion of afghanistan history learning site. The report examines major factors that negatively affect. When i was researching a 2009 book about the soviet war, i found. 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 history of afghanistan is largely military history. The increased soviet defense spending and the war in afghanistan combined with a moribund economy forced the soviets to make difficult decisions. The soviet war had a damaging impact on afghanistan. It is based on interviews with former members of the soviet armed forces in afghanistan, interviews with afghan reistnnce leaders and former officers, and a literature search. Not trumps terrorists, nor zbigs warm water ports january 29, 2019.