Discussion!
Click to view comment board! :)
Articles!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
---How the Afghanistan war caused the fall of communism .
Afghanistan War, 1978-92, is one of the many external reasons why the communist rule in Russia ended. The war is mainly the conflicts between the anti-Communists Muslim guerrillas (also known as the mujahidin) with the Soviet forces. The origin for the war was to prevent the spread of Islamic influence, and protect communism.
The actual invasion took place on December 27, 1979, where soviet troops started taking over major military, media and governmental buildings (Tajbeg Presidential Palace was their main target). Though the soviet was able to take over major urban centers and strategic military bases, such invasion caused the resistance from various opposition groups. The resistance was approximated to have 30,000 soldiers, but soon grew to 100,000. Primary source of resistance came from the mujahidin which were assisted by aid from the US, China and Saudi Arabia. The conflict soon developed into a state, with the soviets occupying urban areas (cites and primary axis of communication), while the mujahidin operated in rural regions where they waged guerrilla war.
As the war progress, the mujahidin were able to improve in their strategies and were armed with better weapons, neutralizing the technological advantages that the USSR possessed previously. This could not have been possible without the help of various major financial contributors (US, Saudi Arabia). Not only so, the US was also directly involved by initiating programs for training Afghans in special technique (car bombs and assassination) and other similar actions.
Eventually, discontentment rise within the soviet citizens as they witness the war lasted with no success but only increasing casualties. In Feb 1988, President Mikhail Gorbachev announced the withdrawal of soviet troops.
Though the war ended, the Soviet suffered a terrible defeat. Their economy was greatly affected, where the cost of war were approximated to be 8.2 billion dollars per year. In terms of casualties, it was officially announced that then umber of death of 15,000. However this is a large underestimation and experts agreed that over 40,000 lost their lives in the field, besides those that were injured and suicides. Corruption was also presence, where it is possible for people to pay and avoid going for military service in Afghanistan.
Though the Afghanistan was not the pivotal factor for the fall of USSR, it acted as a catalyst. The war was largely responsible for the devastation of the country’s economy, which is what ensures the functionality of the state. Despite spending a huge sum to support its Warsaw Pact allies in Eastern Europe, they still increase spending for the war. The Soviet Union soon find themselves spending more than they were getting from taxes, causing the country to get deeper into debts, that let to the downfall of the country’s economy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_in_Afghanistan
http://www.afghan-web.com/history/articles/ussr.html
http://answersinhistory.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/soviet-afghan-war-origins/