Soviet war in Afghanistan facts for kids

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Soviet war in Afghanistan

Part of the conflict in Afghanistan and the Cold War

Mujahideen fighters in Kunar Province of Afghanistan in 1987

Date

December 24, 1979 – February 15, 1989
(9 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day)

Location

Afghanistan

Result

Geneva Accords of 1988

Withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan

Afghan Civil War continues

Belligerents

Soviet Union
D.R. Afghanistan
supported by
Bulgaria
[[East Germany]]

Hungary

Mujahideen Supported by
Pakistan
United States
United Kingdom
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Jordan
West Germany
France
Egypt

Israel

Commanders and leaders

Sergei Sokolov

Valentin Varennikov

Boris Gromov

Abdul Rashid Dostum

Abdul Qadir Dagarwal

Shahnawaz Tanai

Mohammed Rafie

Ahmad Shah Massoud

Abdul Haq

Abdullah Azzam

Ismail Khan

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar

Jalaluddin Haqqani

Mullah Naqib

Abdul Rahim Wardak

Fazal Haq Mujahid

Burhanuddin Rabbani

Osama bin Laden

Strength

Soviet Forces:

115,000

Afghan Forces:

55,000

Mujahideen:

200,000–250,000

Casualties and losses

Soviet Forces:

14,453 Killed (total)

9,500 killed in combat
4,000 died from wounds
1,000 died from disease and accidents

53,753 Wounded

312 Missing

Afghan Forces:

18,000 killed

Mujahideen:

75,000–90,000 killed, 75,000+ wounded (tentative estimate)

Civilians (Afghan):

850,000–1,500,000 killed

5 million refugees outside of Afghanistan

2 million refugees in Afghanistan

Around 3 million Afghans wounded (mostly civilians)

Civilians (Soviet):

Around 100 dead

The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the Afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries. Without proper equipment and training, the Afghanistan government was unable to resist the foreign mercenaries, eventually seeking the aid of the Soviet Union.The entry of the Soviet Union into the country caused an immediate increase in the presence of foreign mercenaries. Massive military campaigns against foreign mercenaries, who blended in with the local population, caused extensive destruction of local infrastructure and death, causing the local population to side with the foreign mercenaries. This change, among the local population, caused a loss of support for the Soviet military presence, creating nation-wide resistance, and the eventual quagmire. The war began in December 1979, and lasted until February 1989. About 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, and about 35,000 were wounded. About one million Afghan civilians were killed. The anti-government forces had support from many countries, mainly the United States and Pakistan.

The war started when the Soviet Union sent its 40th Army to fight in Afghanistan. They began 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.

Background
The Soviet deployment
The occupation
After the war
Images for kids
See also

Background

Arabs moved into this area in 731, and they were Muslim. Almost all the people of Afghanistan also started to follow Islam after that. The country has many mountains and deserts that make movement difficult. The population is made up mainly of Pashtun people, along with Tajiks, Hazara, Aimak, Uzbeks, Turkmen people, and some other small groups.

The Soviet deployment

Hafizullah Amin

In 1979 Hafizullah Amin was the ruler of Afghanistan. The Soviets were told by its 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.

Assassination of 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."

Rise of Babrak Karmal

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 assistance.

Moscow's decision for the Occupation

The government of Afghanistan asked the Soviet Union many times to send troops. Despite the Soviet Union's treaty with Afghanistan to assist, and fearing a Vietnam-style quagmire, the Soviet Union resisted, instead telling the Afghanistan government to reach a compromise with the foreign mercenaries. As the situation deteriorated between the Afghanistan government and foreign merecenaries, the Soviet Union initially responded with only intelligence and advisors.

The occupation

Soviet operations

The Soviet soldiers did many things in Afghanistan. But they could never control all parts of Afghanistan. Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan lacked the proper military tactics for guerilla warfare in Afghanistan's rugged mountainous terrain and many of the Soviet troops were young conscripts untested in combat. Several Afghan groups continued to attack and fight with the Soviet troops.

World reaction

People in most countries around the world did not like what the Soviet Union was doing in Afghanistan. But they liked the way the Afghan people were fighting them. Some reactions were very serious. US President Jimmy Carter said that the Soviet action was "the most serious threat to the peace since the Second World War". Carter threatened to boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Russia unless the Soviet Union withdrew its forces by February 1980. It did not do this, and therefore the U.S. boycotted the Games.

Afghan reaction

By mid-1980s, many groups in Afghanistan had organized themselves. They fought the Soviet troops. These groups received help from many countries like United States, United Kingdom, China, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

Pakistan’s participation

Pakistan thought that the Soviet war in Afghanistan was also a threat to it. Through its intelligence agency, the ISI, it also started its active support to Afghans fighting the Soviet troops.

Soviet withdrawal

The Soviet war in Afghanistan seemed like a war that would never end. The Soviet Union looked very bad in the eyes of the world for trying to control this country. Inside the Soviet Union also, most people did not support this war. As more and more Soviet soldiers were being killed or wounded as the war dragged on, Mikhail Gorbachev would refer to the Soviet war in Afghanistan as a "bleeding wound". Finally, after ten years with no end in sight, the Soviets decided to get out of Afghanistan.

After the war

Soviet Union

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 were 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.

Afghanistan

Even after the Soviet Army left Afghanistan, civil war continued in Afghanistan. For about three years, the Communist government of Najibullah could not 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 effect on the economy. With the break-up of the Soviet Union in many countries, Afghanistan’s traditional trade also suffered.

Western World

At the beginning, many people and countries had praised the USA for supporting groups fighting the Soviet forces. But after the September 11 attacks, people started to question the US policy of supporting and giving money to such groups. In an effort to find Bin Laden, the US has continued to fight in Afghanistan since 2001, and almost two years after Bin Laden was killed.

Images for kids

The existing Afghanistan–Pakistan border and maximum extent of claimed territory
Postage stamp from 1979 depicting the Arg, with the text reading "The Great Saur Revolution is the fruit of the class struggle"
Afghanistan Scout Association in the 1950s
Soviet forces after capturing some Mujahideen
Soviet soldiers conducting training
Soviet ground forces in action, supported by Mi-24 helicopters and T-62 tanks, while conducting an offensive operation against the Afghan mujahideen, 1984.
Map of the Soviet intervention, December 1979
Soviet paratroopers aboard a BMD-1 in Kabul
A Mujahideen fighter in Kunar uses a communications receiver.
Mujahideen with two captured artillery field guns in Jaji, 1984
A Soviet Spetsnaz (special operations) group prepares for a mission in Afghanistan, 1988
The areas where the different Mujahideen forces operated in 1985
Darul Aman Palace in 1982, general headquarters of the Afghan Army
Three mujahideen in Asmar, 1985
Mujahideen praying in Shultan Valley, 1987
Awards ceremony for the 9th Company
Soviet soldier in Afghanistan, 1988
A column of Soviet BTR armored personnel carriers departing from Afghanistan.
Soviet T-62M main battle tank withdraws from Afghanistan
CGen of 40th Army, Boris Gromov, announcing the withdrawal of Soviet contingent forces.
Painting of the 'first Stinger Missile kill in 1986'.
U.S. President Reagan meeting with Afghan mujahideen at the White House, to highlight Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan
Charlie Wilson (D-TX), 2nd from the left, dressing in Afghan clothing (armed with AKS-74U) with the local Afghan mujahideen.
Afghani anti-war protestors in Los Angeles, December 1986
An Afghan mujahid carries a Lee–Enfield No. 4 in August 1985
A demonstration against the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, in The Hague, Netherlands, 1985
Soviet soldiers return from Afghanistan, October 1986
Spetsnaz troops interrogate a captured mujahideen with an RPG, rounds and AK47 in the background, 1986
A member of the International Committee of the Red Cross helping a wounded Afghan child walk in 1986
A PFM-1 mine, often mistaken for a toy by children. The mine's shape was dictated by aerodynamics.
Afghan guerrillas that were chosen to receive medical treatment in the United States, Norton Air Force Base, California, 1986
Two Soviet T-55 tanks left by the Soviet army during their withdrawal lie rusting in a field near Bagram Airfield, in 2002
U.S. troops in 2011 surveying the Salang Pass during the War in Afghanistan, the route used by Soviet forces during the invasion 32 years before
Afghans commemorating Mujahideen Victory Day in Kabul (2007)
20th Anniversary of Withdrawal of Soviet Military Forces from Afghanistan, stamp of Belarus, 2009
A meeting of Russian war veterans from Afghanistan, 1990
Memorial to soldiers located in Kolomyia, Ukraine