IB History Reasons for Conflict in Afghanistan Key Definitions

An ethnic group indigenous to the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, comprising roughly 9–10% of the Afghan population. Predominantly Shia Muslim in a majority-Sunni country, the Hazara faced systematic persecution and marginalisation under various Afghan governments and, most severely, under the Taliban (1996–2001), which carried out massacres of Hazara communities. Their persecution has continued into the 21st century.

The two main factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). Khalq ("Masses") was led by Nur Muhammad Taraki and later Hafizullah Amin; it was predominantly Pashtun, rural, and radical, pushing for rapid collectivisation and anti-religious reforms. Parcham ("Banner") was led by Babrak Karmal; it was more moderate, urban, and Persian-speaking. The factions violently purged each other after the 1978 Saur Revolution, destabilising the regime and alarming Moscow.

Operation Cyclone was a CIA programme that provided covert financial, military, and logistical support to Afghan Mujahideen fighting Soviet forces from 1979 to 1992. It was one of the largest covert operations in CIA history, eventually channelling approximately $3 billion through Pakistan's ISI to Mujahideen factions. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia provided matching funds. The programme supplied Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from 1986, which significantly reduced Soviet air effectiveness.

The traditional code of conduct of the Pashtun people, emphasising honour (nang), hospitality (melmastia), and revenge (badal). Pashtunwali governs personal and tribal behaviour and is distinct from, though often practised alongside, Islamic law. It played an important role in Afghan resistance to Soviet rule, as it mandated retaliation against outsiders who violated tribal honour.

The Afghan communist party founded in 1965. The PDPA seized power in the Saur Revolution of April 1978 and governed Afghanistan until the Soviet-backed regime collapsed in 1992. The party was deeply divided between two factions: the Khalq (Masses), which was predominantly Pashtun and brutally radical, and the Parcham (Banner), which was more moderate and urban-based. Factional conflict within the PDPA was a major cause of the instability that drew in the Soviet Union.

The Saur Revolution of 27 April 1978 was a coup in which the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew and killed President Mohammed Daoud Khan. The PDPA took power and established a pro-Soviet communist government. The name "Saur" refers to the Afghan month in which the coup occurred. The revolution triggered an immediate crisis: the PDPA's radical modernisation programme (land reform, women's rights, literacy campaigns) alienated conservative rural populations and provoked armed resistance.