IB History Cold War Crises - Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Notes

The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979)

Background - The Saur Revolution and PDPA (1978)

1. In April 1978, the Saur Revolution overthrew Afghanistan's government and brought the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) to power.
2. The PDPA introduced radical modernisation reforms - land redistribution, women's rights, and secular education - that alienated traditional tribal and religious leaders.
3. Armed resistance from mujahideen (Islamic guerrilla fighters) spread rapidly across the countryside, threatening the survival of the PDPA regime.
4. The PDPA was deeply divided between two rival factions - Khalq and Parcham - and internal power struggles weakened the government further.
5. In September 1979, Hafizullah Amin seized power and proved increasingly independent from Moscow, raising Soviet fears that Afghanistan could leave the Soviet sphere.
6. Afghanistan bordered the Soviet Central Asian republics - Moscow feared that Islamic fundamentalism could spread to its own Muslim populations if the PDPA collapsed.

The Soviet Invasion (December 1979)

1. On 24 December 1979, Soviet forces entered Afghanistan - within days, over 80,000 troops were deployed, and Amin was killed and replaced by the more compliant Babrak Karmal.
2. Brezhnev's reasons for invading included protecting a communist ally, preventing Islamic radicalism from spreading, and countering potential Western influence on the USSR's southern border.
3. The invasion reflected a "domino theory in reverse" - the USSR feared that losing Afghanistan would trigger the collapse of other Soviet-aligned states in the region.
4. The Soviets expected a quick operation to stabilise the country, but the mujahideen resistance proved far more effective than anticipated.
5. The invasion was internationally condemned - the UN General Assembly voted 104 to 18 demanding Soviet withdrawal, but the USSR used its veto in the Security Council to block binding action.