Soviet-Afghan War and Falklands War

Lsn 37

Soviet-Afghan War
Afghanistans strategic location has made it a historic location of international conflict and intrigue Underdeveloped country with divided, quarrelsome tribes

Soviet-Afghan War
In Apr 1978 the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan overthrew the government of Mahammed Daoud
Armed resistance to the new Marxist government broke out and the ruling government split into factions The Soviets were concerned about this instability on their southern border and in Dec 1979 they supported a coup

Soviet-Afghan War
Soviet units already in Kabul seized control of key sites and additional units crossed the border into Afghanistan and seized important cities The Soviets installed Babrak Karmal as president

Babrak Karmal

Soviet-Afghan War
The Soviets anticipated a quick collapse of any resistance Afghanistan had just 15 million people compared to the USSRs 265 million Afghan tribes had little unity The Afghans had only obsolete rifles and equipment left over from World War II

Soviet soldier in Afghanistan

Soviet-Afghan War
During the first four years of the war, the Soviets held the major urban areas and launched attacks against the mujahideen, the Afghan guerrillas, in remote and often mountainous areas The resistance grew as more than half of the 80,000 soldiers in the Afghan army deserted or joined the mujahideen Many brought their weapons with them

Soviet-Afghan War
The mujahideen used classic guerrilla tactics conducting small-scale attacks and ambushing Soviet and government convoys along the roads The mujahideen also benefited from sanctuaries in Pakistan and Iran as bases of support and training

Soviet vehicle passing through the mountains in Afghanistan

Soviet-Afghan War
Initially the Soviets employed traditional mechanized tactics including divisionsized offensives against mujahideen sanctuaries Soon, however, the Soviets realized that the rugged terrain gave the guerrillas numerous advantages
The guerrillas had plenty of places to hide and were not confined to using the roads

Soviet-Afghan War
Within months the Soviets began changing the structure of their units and their tactics, shifting to decentralized, mobile operations conducted at the battalion task force level Increasingly the Soviets relied on air-transported infantry and their airmobile tactics came to resemble those of the US in Vietnam

Soviet-Afghan War
The mujahideen began receiving weapons from the West including mines, recoilless rifles, and small antiaircraft guns Using their small unit tactics and cross border sanctuaries they attacked with little strategic or tactical purpose other than to kill Soviet soldiers The Soviet responded with rocket attacks into Kabul and other important cities and scorched earth tactics designed to starve and terrorize the guerrillas into submission The Soviets also used chemicals Still the mujahideen resisted

Soviet-Afghan War
By 1984 the Soviets had to choose between a massive increase in forces or a different strategy Reluctant to increase their strength beyond 125,000 to 140,000 soldiers, the Soviets instead shifted their strategy from destroying guerrillas to destroying the infrastructure the guerrillas needed for support

Soviet-Afghan War
The Soviets attacked the supply lines from Pakistan, the border areas that provided sanctuary, and villages suspected of sheltering guerrillas They destroyed livestock and crops Attacks on population centers became routine

Soviet-Afghan War
The new tactics created a massive amount of refugees 30-50% of the population was estimated to have fled Afghanistan by 1986 Still the Soviets had little control outside the urban centers

Sharbat Gula, photographed in Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan, appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1985 and was found 17 years later by the National Geographic photographic team

Soviet-Afghan War
In Feb 1986 the US decided to send hightechnology weapons to Afghanistan, including the Stinger air defense missile The guerrillas success in shooting down Soviet aircraft caused the Soviets to limit helicopter assaults, and in 1987 and 1988 most operations reverted to reliance on mechanized infantry formations

The first 340 Stinger missiles fired by Afghan guerrillas brought down 269 Soviet aircraft.

Soviet-Afghan War
As the mobility of the Soviets was reduced, they were forced to withdraw from the more remote areas and sought to secure the urban areas This development turned the tide of the battle in favor of the mujahideen who then began using trucks instead of pack animals and roads instead of trails

A Soviet soldier in Afghanistan in 1988

Soviet-Afghan War
In Nov 1986 Mohammed Najibullah replaced Karmal as president
Najibullah adopted a more Islamic public image in an attempt to sway the mujahideen and changed the countrys name from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to the Republic of Afghanistan in an attempt to appear less Marxist

Militarily the Soviets launched air raids against mujahideen bases in Pakistan, dropped thousands of mines along supply routes, and stepped up their attacks on villages

Soviet-Afghan War
These last ditch efforts could not change the strategic situation In early 1988 the mujahideen estimated that they controlled 80% of the countryside Fighting a losing war in Afghanistan and facing economic difficulties at home, the Soviets decided to cut their losses In Apr 1988 they signed a peace accord The last Soviet soldier departed Afghanistan on Feb 15, 1989

Soviet convoys leaving Afghanistan