The Soviet War in Afghanistan: A hot war fought between Cold War Countries Tessa Landale, March 2, 1012

1. The Soviet War in Afghanistan: A hot war fought between Cold War Countries Tessa Landale, March 2, 1012 Cultural and Political Significance Historical Significance BACKGROUND US involvement Although the US was not the only country to aid Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation they provided the most assistance. Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan and Iran also aided the mujahideen. Early on in the war the United States began to support the mujahideen in the form of weapons and tools and by the end the US was also training the mujahideen through the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as supplying them with Stinger missiles (Lowe 47). Stinger missiles were a relatively new technology that allowed the mujahideen to shoot down the Soviet helicopters. The most pivotal action of the US though, was the National Security Division Directive 166 (Rogers et. All). This directive stated that the mujahideen would prevail but in order to do so they would need to attack more government strongholds. This directive prompted the mujahideen to engage in more sophisticated warfare (as they moved away from guerilla warfare). What was at stake for the US? One of the main concerns for the US was the oil supplies located in the Mid-East. The Gulf-states of Pakistan, Syria, and Iran, were the main suppliers of oil to the US. If the Soviet Union were to take charge of Pakistan, it would be much easier for the USSR to take control of the oil-producing Gulf States (Encyclopedia Britannica). This was a critical concern for the US which relied heavily on the oil from these states. Afghanistan Although the fighting eventually moved towards government strongholds and known military camps, much of the country was destroyed. The guerilla warfare that was fought throughout the Afghani countryside destroyed many towns, farms and homes. When the war moved into the cities even more infrastructure was destroyed. At the end of the war, it was estimated that there were over 670,000 Afghani deaths and 5-10million Afghanis fled to Iran and Pakistan as refugees (Encyclopedia Britannica). At the start of the war in December, 1979, the Soviet Union thought that fighting Afghanistan would be a short lived task (BBC). This was not the case. Although the Soviet Union was well equipped with helicopters and modern chemical war agents, the mujahideen had the home-field advantage. The mujahideen knew the land better than the soviets, and some argue the religious drive may have been a factor. As a result the mujahideen controlled more than 75% of the Afghani Mountains and rural areas (Trueman). The USSR had the power to control the major cities, but as the war continued the mujahideen gained more and more power by working from the inside out. The mujahideen mission caught the attention of many foreigners, and as a result their army grew quickly. The mujahideen even had the power to convert many of the Soviet Union’s fighters who had deserted the communist’s to fight for the mujahideen (Guide to Russia, Soviet Invasion of Aghanistan). Although the United States made a point to fight the Soviet Union through the mujahideen during the Cold War, the US is now fighting the army they helped build in the first place. During the Cold War, the US and the mujahideen found a common enemy in the Soviet Union and were able to unite over their differences. Today though, the US is at war, fighting the same army they were once allied with (Rogets et. all). Members of the mujahideen wait in the Afghani hills. The Players Works Cited The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a pro-soviet organization, so in 1979 the PDP appointed HafizullahAmin to head the country. The first major outrage to Amin’s regime was his attempt to suppress religion in an effort to make the country Communist. As a result thousands joined the mujahideen stating it was a holy mission from Allah. In 1980 Amin was shot and replaced with BabrakKarmal (Guide to Russia, Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan). Today, both are considered to be mere puppets of Leonid Brezhnev. Just after the Soviet invasion, the mujahideen declared a Jihad, or holy war, on the government. Although the mujahideen did the fighting the CIA funded the guerilla fighters, through money, supplies and training. Afghanistan Profile." BBC News. BBC, 22 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12024253>. Encyclopedia Britannica. "The Afghan War." Cold War Museum. The Cold War Museum. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. <http://www.coldwar.org/articles/70s/afghan_war.asp>. Lowe, Norman. Mastering Modern World History. 4th ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997. Print. Trueman, Chris. "Russian Invasion of Afghanistan." Modern World History. History Learning Site, 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/russia_invasion_afghanistan.htm>. Rogers, Keely, and Jo Thomas. 20th Century World: The Cold War. London: Pearson Education Limited, 2008. Print. "Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan." Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Guide to Russia, 2004. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.guidetorussia.com/russia- afghanistan.asp>. A soviet helicopter shot down by a US Stinger missile.