The Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan |
The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan brought about another American attempt at halting the spread of communism. The alliance displayed between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union made America question the motives of the Soviet Union, thinking that they were making a move towards the Persian Gulf and the oil there.
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In 1978 Soviet-Afghan friendship treaty was signed, permitting military advice and assistance to Afghanistan when requested. The occupation began in 1979 when Russian paratroopers landed in Kabul, citing the treaty with the aim of solidifying an ally in Asia. In justification of their occupation, the Soviet Union claimed that they were “helping the Afghan state stabilise itself by ridding it of ‘bandits’”. [A. Paynid; Soviet-Afghan Relations, From Cooperation to Occupation; page 107] The ‘bandits’ referred to the CIA-supported mercenaries, known as the Mujahdeen.
In December of 1979, the Amin was shot by the Russian troops, replacing the Amin Government with Babrak Kamal who was heavily supported by the Russian military. With their choice of Afghani leader, the Soviet Union began putting social reforms in place that began to make enemies with the indigenous population, they started land reforms that offended tribal leaders and put economic measures in place that worsened the conditions for the poor. Because of the reforms that were put in place, the Russians attempted to curb the growing ethnic uprisings by using mass arrest, torture, the execution of dissidents and aerial bombardments. [PBS NEWSHOUR].
In December of 1979, the Amin was shot by the Russian troops, replacing the Amin Government with Babrak Kamal who was heavily supported by the Russian military. With their choice of Afghani leader, the Soviet Union began putting social reforms in place that began to make enemies with the indigenous population, they started land reforms that offended tribal leaders and put economic measures in place that worsened the conditions for the poor. Because of the reforms that were put in place, the Russians attempted to curb the growing ethnic uprisings by using mass arrest, torture, the execution of dissidents and aerial bombardments. [PBS NEWSHOUR].
The growing soviet involvement in Afghanistan brought America to start implementing the idea of containment. Worried that the Russians were attempting a stretch towards the Persian Gulf and the oil that exported and mined there, they began supporting the Pakistani intelligence to train and arm guerrilla fighters, the aforementioned Mujahdeen. [PBS NEWSHOUR] The resistance that had been brought about by the Mujahdeen was a success, as America had donated anti-aircraft missiles, causing major losses to the Soviet forces. Yet another expression of opposition to the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan, the US boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
In April 1988, the Geneva Accords that were overseen by the United Nations were signed. They were guaranteed by both the Soviet Union and the United States, effectively ending the war and the two superpowers involvement. The treaty was also signed by the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments, it contained a timeline of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Afghanistan and outlined a policy of non-interference. Even though the two major powers of the Cold War were no longer intervening, civil war continued in Afghanistan between the Mujahdeen and the soviet-supported Najibullah, who, when eventually ousted by the Mujahdeen, was replaced with the Taliban Government.