The Soviets in
Afghanistan
- Why?
Typical Russian foreign policy of southern expansion
- Political
problems in Afghanistan created power vacuums, so in Sept
1979 the Russians invaded and installed Babrak Karmal
as President, a puppet government
- The West,
China and India were all concerned, the Soviets were
getting closer to the Persian Gulf
- The USA
and other western countries then boycotted the 1980
Summer Olympics in Moscow
- This
invasion helped to end Detente
- In 1980
the Soviets increased involvement, 2,000 tanks and
squadrons of airplanes
- The
rebels called Mujaheddin, still controlled the
countryside, this would be the Soviets Vietnam!
- From
1980-1988 a vicious war ensued, creating much east-west
tension and huge refugee problems at home
- Like
Vietnam for the USA, Soviet troops began to resent being
there and many brutal acts were perpetuated by the
Soviets on the Afghans
- Like
Vietnam, the Native population was against the Soviets,
they faced guerilla forces hard to find and even harder
to fight, the Soviets had to deal with disillusioned
troops, the Soviets had to withdraw after being
discredited and embarrassed.
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