Afghanistan The effects of Soviet and American influence.

AfghanistanThe effects of Soviet and American

influence

OVERVIEW

In this lesson we examine:• The modern historical background• Factors towards Soviet intervention• Reasons for the American response• Short and long-term consequences

• Anglo-Afghan Wars, also called Afghan Wars,  three conflicts (1839–42; 1878–80; 1919) in which Great Britain, from its base in India, sought to extend its control over neighbouring Afghanistan and to oppose Russian influence there.

• Afghanistan became an independent monarchy after the Third Anglo-Afghan War of 1919

• Kings attempted to modernize Afghanistan’s society, economy and military meeting resistance from conservatives and Muslims

• Most foreign assistance came from the USSR• In 1964, Afghanistan became a constitutional

monarchy; it remained heavily dependent on the Soviet Union and lacked popularity

History

• The Soviet Afghan War was a nine-year proxy war during the Cold War involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahedeen guerrilla movement and foreign “Arab-Afghan” volunteers.

• The Mujahedeen received unofficial military and/or financial support from a variety of countries including:– The United States– Saudi Arabia– The United Kingdom– Pakistan– Israel– Indonesia– China

• The Afghan government, with the Soviet Union as its ally, received different aid from India

• In the late 1970s, Afghanistan became the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

• Conservatives, minority groups and radical Muslims began rebelling against the government in 1978

• Two factions within the government fought for control until late 1979

• The Soviets invaded in Dec 1979 to support the republican government against the ‘mujahedeen’ (guerrilla freedom fighters)

What factors led to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from

1979 to 1988?

What similarities did the Afghan civil war already share with the civil war in Vietnam?

Soviet intervention

The Mujahedeen

• They were nationalist freedom fighters from the mountainous areas of the largely rural country, and also maintained bases in Pakistan.

• They were entirely independent of the government. • The fought under the command of tribal leaders,

who also headed Islamist political parties, which ranged from radical to moderate.

• They received arms by way of Pakistan and Iran, both of which share a border.

• They made use of an arsenal of guerrilla tactics to thwart the Soviets, such as laying ambushes or blowing up gas pipelines between the two countries.

Osama Bin Laden with the CIA funded and trained Mujahedeen

There were many similarities, but Afghanistan was not exactly a Soviet Vietnam:

A.The guerrillas were badly organized and poorly led

B.B. They have no sanctuary, no organized army, and no central government -- all of which North Vietnam had

C. They have limited foreign support, in contrast to the enormous amount of arms that flowed to the Vietnamese from both the Soviet Union and China

Context Question: Why was the US unable to expand the war against the Viet Cong and North Vietnam?

Reaction and response

The Soviet’s had a huge military advantage over the Mujahedeen

• The US was concerned that the Soviets would

use Afghanistan as a political base to

threaten their interests in the Persian Gulf

• The US and its allies, Pakistan, Iran and

Saudi Arabia, provided training, supplies and

weapons to the mujahedeen rebels

Why was the US concerned about the Soviet presence in

Afghanistan and what actions did they take?

In what way was the US actually working against its

own principles by supporting religious extremists against

the Soviets?

Reaction and response

• Between 700,000 and 3 million Afghans died• The USSR suffered around 15,000 deaths and

400,000 became wounded or ill; the war cost approximately $8.2 billion USD per year

• Over 4 million Afghan refugees fled to Pakistan and Iran

• The US withdrew financial support to the rebels after

the Soviet forces withdrew• Afghans have many tribal, ethnic and linguistic

differences. After the war ended in 1989, these different factions returned to their previous divisiveness and fought each other, until the Taliban (religious extremists) established rule in 1991.

The Soviets were better armed and trained but found it difficult

to fight in the mountainous terrain. By mid-1988, the Soviets agreed to withdraw its forces.

Short and long-term consequences

1988 Withdrawal of Soviet forces