Why did the Soviets invade Afghanistan in the late 1970's?

Question

I am interested in this topic. A brief explanation would be great as I dont have time to research it right now. Thanks.

Answer 1

The Soviets had a puppet government there that was in danger of falling, and they were "invited" in to the country. They desired a satellite state that would be adjacent to Iran (although they had other shared borders) and Pakistan - both were US allies at the time. They desired to limit US influence in the region and position their bases to "cushion" or provide a hedge between US allies and actual Soviet territory. There is little of value in Afghanistan, and their prolonged war ended badly. It was largely the introduction of the Stinger missles provided by the CIA that ended the Soviet occupation.

Answer 2

Yes, the mujahideen and the Taliban both tried and try to remove infidels and defilers of Islam. Opposing this, the Taliban were much harsher. Also, the end of the Soviet Invasion led to an unstable government. Mujahideen were fighting each other for control of Afghanistan's government. Then, the Taliban emerged and took it from the warring tribes's hands. Both of these groups used Soviet arms from the conflicts. All of the weapons the U.S. supplied to the rebel fighters had to be Soviet- made, because the government didn't want any trace back to the United Sates of America. So, the Mujahideen were the fore bearers of the Taliban, because both groups had relatively the same principles.

Answer 3

They went in to prop up the pro Soviet Afghan government.

Answer 4

"Russian military involvement in Afghanistan has a long history, going back to Tsarist expansions in the so-called "Great Game" between Russia and Britain, begun in the 19th Century with such events as the Panjdeh Incident. This interest in the region continued on through the Soviet era in Russia, with billions in economic and military aid sent to Afghanistan between 1955 and 1978."

"In February of 1979, the Islamic Revolution had ousted the US backed Shah from Afghanistan's neighbor Iran. In the Soviet Union, Afghanistan's northern neighbor, more than twenty percent of the population was Muslim. Many Soviet Muslims in Central Asia had tribal kinship relationships in both Iran and Afghanistan. The Soviet Union had also been concerned by the fact that since that February the United States had deployed twenty ships, including two aircraft carriers, and the constant stream of threats of warfare between the US and Iran."

"March of 1979 also marked the signing of the US backed peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. The Soviet Union leadership saw the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt as a major step in the progression of US power in the region. [...] In addition, the Soviets found America selling more than five thousand missiles to Saudi Arabia and also supplying the successful Yemeni resistance against communist factions. Also, the Soviet Union's previously strong relations with Iraq had recently soured. Iraq, in June 1978, began buying French and Italian made weapons as opposed to Soviet weapons."

"Soviet war in Afghanistan : Background" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_in_Afghanistan#Background

"The longest period of stability in Afghanistan was between 1933 and 1973, when the country was under the rule of King Zahir Shah. However, in 1973, Zahir Shah's brother-in-law, Sardar Daoud Khan, launched a bloodless coup. Daoud Khan and his entire family were murdered in 1978, when the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan launched a coup known as the Great Saur Revolution and took over the government."

"As part of a Cold War strategy, in 1979 the United States government (under President Jimmy Carter and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski) began covertly to fund and train anti-government Mujahideen forces through the Pakistani secret service known as Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). In order to bolster the local Communist forces, the Soviet Union—citing the 1978 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good Neighborliness that had been signed between the two countries—intervened on December 24, 1979. Over 100,000 Soviet troops took part in the invasion, who were backed by another 100,000 and plus pro-communist forces of Afghanistan."

"Afghanistan : History" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan#History

Answer 5

Basically they didn't like the Afghans trying to overthrow the Soviet government of that area bordering Afghanistan that had Moslems living there.

Answer 6

To expand their hegemony, or sphere of influence. The Soviet Union at this point still existed and they were still desiring to spread their power and trade areas, as well as the idealism of communism. It's all about power and holding those countries that are close, and keeping them close. It didn't work.

Answer 7

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan to ensure that a pro-Soviet regime would be in power in the country. The Soviet invasion shocked the West, as it was the first direct use of Soviet combat troops outside the region of the Warsaw Pact.

In response to the invasion, the United States imposed a grain embargo on the Soviets. It also withdrew from the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. More importantly, the Soviet invasion resulted in increased defense spending in the United States.

The Soviet invasion was vigorously opposed by the Afghan guerrillas (who were called Mujdeen). They were armed by the United States, and ultimately fought the Soviets to a standstill. The Soviets were forced to withdraw, as Afghanistan had become the equivalent of Vietnam in American foreign policy.

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The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a war fought between the forces of the Soviet Union, and Islamic tribes of Afghanistan who were against the Communist government set up by the Soviets. The war began in December 1979, and lasted until February 1989. Many people were killed or wounded in this long war. About 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, and about 35,000 were wounded. About 1 million Afghans were killed. The anti-Communist Afghan forces had support from many countries, mainly the United States and Pakistan.

It started when the Soviet Union sent its 40th Army to fight in Afghanistan. They started to reach Afghanistan from 25 December 1979. The fighting continued for about ten years. Then, from 15 May 1988, the Soviet troops started to leave Afghanistan. This continued until 2 February 1989. On 15 February 1989, the Soviet Union announced that all its troops had left Afghanistan

In 1979 Hafizullah Amin was the ruler of Afghanistan. The Soviets were told by their KGB spies that Amin's rule was a threat to the part of Central Asia that was Soviet. They also suspected that Amin was not loyal to the Soviet Union. They found some information about Amin's attempt to be friendlier with Pakistan and China. The Soviets also suspected that Amin was behind the death of president Nur Muhammad Taraki. Finally, the Soviets decided to remove Amin.

On 22 December 1979, Soviet advisors to the Army of Afghanistan took many steps. They stopped all telecommunication links in Kabul. No message could come inside the city, or go outside the city. Troops of the Soviet Air force also reached Kabul. Amin saw some dangers. He moved to the Presidential palace for better safety. The palace was named Tajbeg Palace.

On 27 December 1979, about 700 Soviet troops took over major government and military buildings at Kabul. The troops wore uniforms similar to the army of Afghanistan. At 7:00 pm, the Soviet troops destroyed Kabul's communication. This stopped all communication among Afghan troops. At 7:15 pm, Soviet troops entered Tajbeg Palace. By morning of 28 December, the first part of the military action was over. Amin and his two sons were killed in the fighting by this time. The Soviets announced freedom of Afghanistan from the rule of President Amin. They also said that all the Soviet soldiers were there to fulfill their duty as stated in the "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good Neighborliness of 1978."

An announcement came from the Kabul radio station about the killing of Hafizullah Amin. The Pro-Soviet Afghan Revolutionary Central Committee (ARCC) took the responsibility for this killing. Then, the ARCC chose Babrak Karmal as the head of government of Afghanistan. He asked the Soviet Union for military help

The Communist government of Afghanistan asked the Soviet Union many times to send troops. The Soviet Union said this was not an "invasion", because the troops were asked to come by the Communist Government of Afghanistan. But the United States said this was just an excuse by the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan.

The Soviet war in Afghanistan badly affected the rule of Communist Party. Many thought that the war was against Islam. This created strong feelings among the Muslim population of Central Asian Soviet Republics. The Soviet army was really in very low spirits or "morale" because they were unable to control the people and were treated only as invaders everywhere they went. Andrei Sakharov openly said the action of Soviet Army in Afghanistan was wrong.

Over 15,000 Soviet troops got killed in Afghanistan from 1979 until 1989. In the war, the Soviet Army also lost hundreds of aircraft, and billions worth of other military machines. Around a million Afghan men, women and children died in the war.
Even after the Soviet Army left Afghanistan, civil war continued in Afghanistan. For about three years, the Communist government of Najibullah could defend itself from the mujaheddin forces opposing it. Many groups had arisen within the government itself, and some of them supported the mujaheddin forces. In March 1992, General Abdul Rashid Dostam and his Uzbek militia stopped supporting the Najibullah’s government. Soon, mujaheddin forces won Kabul and started to rule most parts of Afghanistan.

During this war lasting for about ten years, Afghanistan's economy suffered badly. Grain production came down to 3.5% per year between 1978 and 1990. The Soviets also tried to bring commercial and industrial activities under state control. This also had a bad affect on the economy. With the break-up of the Soviet Union in many countries, Afghanistan’s traditional trade also suffered.

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Hope that this brief information is sufficient for you.

Water

Answer 8

it depends...