Questions on Soviet-Afghan war?

Question

Can you evaluate the Soviet's stratege, and tacticts of fighting guerillas?

Were the Soviets bad at chasing after the Afghans?

I have read some articles that the Soviets were not good at this kind of guerilla fighting, as they landed the helicopters in the open field (which drew rocket attacks from the Afghans) and their calvary units being lured into closed terrain, being mass-killed.

But I want to know more. Were the Soviet tactics still based on the world war 2 experiences?

Overall, were the Soviets good fighters and inflicted many casualties to the Afghans?

Or were they stupid and just got killed?

I want to know as much information as possible.

I want to know their mistakes, favorite tactics, etc.

thanks.

Answer 1

From what I have studied, the Soviet military was able to adapt well given the situation they were in. They made liberal use of block and sweep maneuvers which worked well against guerilla forces. They also devloped several very effective ways of clearing tunnels and caves.

Their major handicaps were the same as what plagued the United States during their Vietnam campaign, and the same problem being faced today in Afghanistan.

The first problem was using too few soldiers. Soviet forces could take or clear a village, mountain pass, or other area, but did not have manpower to hold the area once taken. There were many instance were Soviet forces would take a village, only to be ordered to move to another village later, allowing guerilla forces to move back in.

The second issue was poor civilian leadership. Much of the war was controlled from Moscow by people who had little or no understanding about the true situtation in Afghanistan.

If you want to learn more about the specific tacitcs used by the Soviet forces I strongly advise reading "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" by Lester Grau. It gives detailled vignetts on specific battles and critiques the tactics used. If you read it, I would also recommend reading "The Other Side of the Mountain" which gives detailed descriptions of the tactics used by the mujahideen against the Soviets.

Answer 2

If you want to know as much information as possible, you will not find the answers here on YA.

I can tell you that the Soviets had superior air power (and their attack helos were a terrifying weapons platform against the Afghanis), artillery and tanks, but the best results in the Soviet campaign were achieved by the Speznatz, or Russian Special Forces, in small unit actions.

Get to the library or a book store:

Bear Went over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan - translated from the publication by the Soviet Frunze Military Academy

The Hidden War: A Russian Journalist's Account of the Soviet War in Afghanistan by Artyom Borovik

Afghan Guerrilla Warfare: In the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters by Ali Ahmad Jalali

The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost by Michael A. Gress

Afghanistan: Soviet Vietnam by Vladislav Tamarov (Author)

also check the following sites:

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1985/jan-feb/nelson.html

smallwars.quantico.usmc.mil/.../LessonsLearned/afghanistan/grau1.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Afghanistan

Answer 3

Its not that the soviets were not really good at strategy, is that the Afghan fighters did have the advantage of the operational fields. The country is very difficult to control due to its vast mountainous area and hiding places. They dig tunnels in the mountains, and got training from the CIA as well as some anti-tank weapons... So the Soviets were not only fighting against the Afghans, but also fighting against the US...
The Soviets, just decide to pull out of Afganistan as they did lose too many soldiers and equipment, thus rendering their invasion way to costly, while their country was on the border of bankrupty... They were just not capable anymore to sustain their occupational forces in Afganistan anymore...
Also, strategically speaking, the soviet army was a conventional one, while the Afghan did use assymetrical warfare tactics to fight... Conventional tactics and weapons, cannot destroy effectively an ennemy using assymetric warfare tactics. They were not equiped to deal with such ennemies, but to tell the truth, you should see that by yourself... The US forces in Irak are getting a beating right now by those who use the same tactics as the Afghan have used!

Answer 4

The Soviets were not trained to fight guerillas just like the Americans in Vietnam. Although they have superiority in weapons, the Afghans were good in the military tactics and manuevers.

Answer 5

That was the Afghans country and they know how to defend it. The Soviets were not experienced enough for that type fighting in that type country. The same as the US was not experienced in fighting in jungles. It took time and experienced to learn to fight their terrain.
Certainly the Soviets were good fighters, maybe not planned that well, but still a force to be reckoned with.
If killing many women, kids and elderly Afghans, to them it was just a body count and nothing more.

Answer 6

Ever wonder why all the laundry men like to pick "Lilies of the fileds"
Must be big business out there?
Ever wonder what is out there?