Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan: Causes, Impact, and Cold War Crisis

1. BELLWORK: March 13th • List the causes of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Include both long and short term factors. • Analyze the four source excerpts on page 167 → What do these sources reveal about Soviet understanding of internal conditions in Afghanistan in 1979?

2. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Cold War Crisis in Asia, 1979

3. Terms & People PDPA Mujahideen Guerrilla Rebels Fought against PDPA (w/ U.S. aide) Religious fundamentalists • Marxist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (Stalinist) • Aided by Soviet Union

4. Terms & People: PDPA divisions Amin Taraki Karmal Installed as leader by the USSR after their invasion (Dec. 1979) • Came to power in 1978 when the Afghan army seized power • Marxist & dependent on Soviet aide • Overthrew Taraki Civil War! (Sept. 1979) • Unpredictable  USSR removed aide & feared U.S. support  invade!

5. Terms & People Leonid Brezhnev Jimmy Carter Opposed Soviet Invasion; allowed CIA to covertly aide Mujahideen • Used Brezhnev Doctrine to justify Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (right of USSR to intervene in affairs of communist nations to strengthen communism)

6. Background/Causes • PDPA (& Taraki) come to power in 1978 w/ USSR aide  Marxist reforms violently implemented  Unpopular! • Mujahideen opposed PDPA & socialism  killed Soviet advisors  Chaos! • Factionalism in PDPA  Taraki overthrown by Amin  Civil War! • Soviets distrustful of Amin  authorized coup  Invade!

7. Description • December 1974: USSR invaded Afghanistan, executed Amin and installed Karmal as leader • An additional 100,000 Soviet troops were sent to keep Karmal in power and restore order • US & UN condemn Soviet actions • US authorized Operation Cyclone – covert ops to aide rebel forces ($, weapons, training) • Rebel forces launched guerrilla attacks on Soviet & PDPA troops

10. Soviet support of PDPA & Karmal

12. U.S. support of Mujahideen

13. After Reagan met with the Mujahideen in 1985, he proclaimed: “These gentlemen are the moral equivalent of America's Founding Fathers.”

14. Analyze the message of this political cartoon!

15. Outcome & Effects • Soviet government refused to admit defeat  fought for ten years with no clear goals • West saw this as aggressive expansionism  boycott Olympics! • 2 million deaths & 3.5M refugees • Highly unpopular war  increased dissent • War was drain on Soviet economy  lower standard of living • Soviets withdrew in 1989  fighting continued until 1992  Soviet-backed PDPA was defeated • US funding of extremist religious groups helped the rise of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban

17. Impact on Cold War • End of détente & beginning of “Second Cold War” • “Soviet Union’s Vietnam” • Dissent and economic problems caused this event to be a contributing factor to the fall of the USSR • Severed relations  not another summit meeting until 1985 • UN General Assembly condemned actions, but nothing passed Security Council

18. Discussion Activity • To review over key aspects of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, you will discuss four questions with four different partners. • Use this to brainstorm ideas, review & clarify points from the reading.

19. Discussion Activity • The Mujahideen were based in Afghanistan’s rural countryside and heavily supported by the U.S. because of their anti-Marxist views. In all other examples of Marxism we’ve talked about this unit, the rural countryside peasants are the ones that support Marxism. Why do you think the Mujahideen were different?

20. Discussion Activity • In order to publicly condemn Soviet actions in Afghanistan, the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Four years later, the Soviet Union boycotted the L.A. Olympics in what was proclaimed a “revenge boycott.” To what extent do you think boycotting international events like the Olympics is a successful tool of diplomacy? Why might a country choose to do this?

21. Discussion Activity • The Soviets were stunned by the degree of western opposition they faced post-intervention. They saw themselves as acting within their own sphere of influence, while the West viewed this as Soviet aggression and expansionism. Compare this to U.S. Cold War actions in our “sphere” (Bay of Pigs, Guatemalan Civil War, supporting right-wing coups in Chile and DR). Why might the U.S. believe their actions were justified while the Soviet Union’s were aggressive? Do you think they were guilty of the same thing?

22. Discussion Activity • This Cold War crisis differs in perspective → The USSR called it an “intervention” while the Western media portrayed it as an “invasion.” Evaluate this difference in terminology. Which do you think is more accurate?

23. Cold War Crisis Review • Now that we’ve studied a Cold War Crisis in each region, you will participate in a review activity. • Each group will be given a stack of cards, each with a description on it. • Your task: • Categorize the events into the correct crisis • Organize the events in chronological order • When you are finished, use the cards to complete the map review note sheet.

25. HOMEWORK: Due Mon. 3/25 • Read about the rise of Brezhnev and the Prague Spring! • Page 139-145 • Keep in mind, we are going back to Europe & studying events in chronological order!