The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war. On 15 february 1989, the soviet army withdrawal from afghanistan was completed, marking the end of the nearly decadelong soviet afghan war. Soviet operations began officially in afghanistan in december of 1979. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters. Jan 04, 2019 despite grievous mistakes in planning and execution, however, the soviet war in afghanistan was no unmitigated failure. Three days later, soviet airborne forces had seized the airfields in kabul and bagram, and the afghan. As the decade of 1970 drew to a close, the soviet union seeking to flex its influence invaded. Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the soviet afghan war, 19791989 schein, zammis on. A strong case could be made, however, that charlie wilson did precisely that, by channelling to afghanistans mujahideen resistance fighters the weapons that were crucial in forcing the soviet. Baumann when on 2425 december 1979 soviet forces invaded afghanistan, they intended to conduct a neat, surgical intervention to.
Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war dra had little stomach for the fight and, once the mujahideen gotthrough the minefields surrounding the outposts, the mujahideenwould strip the outposts of everything they could carry and disappearinto the night. The sovietafghan war lasted over nine years from december 1979 to february 1989. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan and the united kingdom making it a cold war proxy war. Part of the cold war, it was fought between soviet led afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. They equipped them weapons worth millions and also trained them in pakistan and later on in chinas soil. Considering the date this was recorded, we actually get some really awesome views of their aircraft, and armor in action. A pentagon senior official, michael pillsbury, successfully advocated providing stinger missiles to the afghan resistance, according to recent books and academic articles.
Afghanistan made it russia because they went bankrupt fighting in afghanistan. In 1989 the soviet union withdrew its forces from afghanistan. In both the attempts, afghan army was routed after suffering heavy casualties. From december 1979 till february 1989, the sovietafghan war between the soviet forces and pakistanusbacked mujahideen groups displaced millions of afghans and caused largescale casualties. The battle for hill 3234 was a successful defensive battle fought by the 345th independent guards airborne regiment, soviet airborne troops, in afghanistan against a force of 200 to 250 mujahideen rebels in january 1988. Mujahideen forces caused serious casualties to the soviet forces, and made the war very costly for the soviet union. The mujahideen obtained weapons from many sources, mostly supplied by the cia during operation cyclone and channeled through pakistan.
The soviet experience in afghanistan indian defence forum. Soviet casualties included,833 killed and 49,985 injured. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam. Why did china help the mujahideen in the afghan soviet war. Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the soviet afghan war, 19791989. The soviets suffered some 15,000 dead and many more injured. List of military equipment used by mujahideen during soviet. The sovietafghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Thus, a mujahid is someone who struggles or someone who fights. Afghan war 197892, internal conflict between the afghan communist. The soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989.
The soviet troops tried to crush the insurgency by various tactics, but the guerrillas generally eluded their attacks. Feb 12, 2018 the page 92 the other side of the mountain. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war by ali ahmad jalali, lester w. This list shows military equipment used by the mujahideen during the sovietafghan war. How did the mujahideen finally defeat the soviets in afghanistan. The soviet afghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in. The mujahideen fought against soviet and dra troops during the soviet afghan war 19791989. Additionally, 572 state security service personnel, 28 officers of the ussr interior ministry, as well as 190 military advisers, including 145 officers, were killed during the sovietafghan war. Afghan insurgent tactics, techniques, and procedures field guide based on the other side of the mountain. Mujahideen fechters in the kunar province o afghanistan in 1987. Babrak karmal, a banner leader, and hafizullah amin were elected deputy prime ministers. It also got the chinese some credit from the us money.
Two of the soldiers killed, vyacheslav alexandrovich alexandrov and andrey alexandrovich melnikov, were posthumously awarded the gold star of the hero of the soviet union. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. Afghanistan afghanistan civil war, communist phase 197892. Given the unique nature of mountain operations and the mujahideen actions against soviet and democratic republic of afghanistan dra ground forces, we have selected three operations from the other side of the mountain, by ali ahmad jalali and lester w. Kokarisharshari or kakari and sharshari was a fortified supply depot in western afghanistan, operated by mujaheddin as a logistic base in the 1980s during the soviet invasion and at least up to 1990. But the book fails to address the nonmilitary reasons for the wars failure, and lets face it, the mujahideen were no match for the lcosf in open warfare, which. The war in afghanistan, code named operation enduring freedom 200114 and operation freedoms sentinel 2015present, followed the united states invasion of afghanistan of 7 october 2001, when the united states of america and its allies successfully drove the taliban from power in order to deny alqaeda a safe base of operations in afghanistan. As of 2011, as the us and its nato allies are attempting to close out their intervention, the lessons of the soviet afghan war are no less relevant. Outnumbered and outgunned, they used classic guerrilla tactics to gradually wear down and finally defeat the soviet.
In the context of afghanistan during the late 20th century, the mujahideen were islamic warriors defending their country from the soviet union, which invaded afghanistan in 1979 and fought a bloody war there for a decade. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. Soviet military operations against the mujahideen in afghanistan, from december. Why did china help the mujahideen in the afghansoviet war. For ten years the mujahideen fought a military superpower that had invaded their homeland. This is a provocative and important book, telling us what the soviet military was thinking and feeling as it lost its war in. The soviet invasion of afghanistan begun in late december 1979 by troops from the soviet union. The cia poured billions into a jihad against soviet occupied afghanistan, creating a militant islamist abraham lincoln brigade believed to have been involved in bombings from islamabad to new york. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan had help deciphering the russian general staff papers from gress, a soviet migr who served in the soviet army.
The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. Afghanistan afghanistan civil war, mujahideentaliban phase 19922001. The sovietafghan war was a major conflict of syphon filter 3. Click download or read online button to get back from afghanistan the experiences of soviet afghan war veterans book now. Afghanistans resistance movement originated in chaos and, at first, regional warlords waged virtually all of its fighting locally. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war ali ahmad jalali, lester w. Grau, that illustrate an ambush, a shelling attack and its consequences, and. The leaders of the new government insisted that they were not controlled by the soviet.
The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. The summery and point of view of the united states during the 1980s explaining the conflict that lasted over nine years. Afghan insurgent tactics, techniques, and procedures field guide. The mujahideen acquired substantial amounts of armoured vehicles from the dra, both captured during combat and brought over by defectors but the lack of trained personnel, spare parts and the prevalence of soviet airpower meant that they were seldom used. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This is the stronger of graus books on the soviet afghan war by far. The soviet afghan war lasted nine long, bloody years. Frunze military academy compiled this book for their command and general. Insurgent groups known as the mujahideen fought against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan. Part of the cold war, it was fought between sovietled afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics, operations, and armaments. Part of the cold war, it was fought between soviet led afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen. The battles of zhawar were fought during the soviet afghan war between soviet army units, and their allies of the democratic republic of afghanistan against afghan mujahideen groups.
Rambo and other american movies got the soviet afghan war all wrong. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the other side of the mountain. This book delivers exactly what the title indicates. Nur mohammad taraki was elected president of the revolutionary council, prime minister of the country, and secretarygeneral of the combined pdpa. This book tells the story of the soviet afghan war in the words of the mujahideen guerrillas themselves. Until washington provided the rebel mujahideen with stinger. Us officer lester grau interviews many afghan mujahideen who fought the soviet aggressors during the early 80s. The mujahideen acquired substantial amounts of armoured vehicles from the dra, both. This book tells the story of the sovietafghan war in the words of the mujahideen guerrillas themselves. Weve been in this country for close to 20 years and i have no idea what goes on in there. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops.
His mischaracterization of the soviet war contained no single scrap of truth, let alone logic. The afghan civil war 199296 began when infighting between the mujahideen rebel factions, after taking kabul and establishing the islamic state of afghanistan, escalated into another full blown conflict. International relations military and naval science. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Reagans program assisted in ending the soviet occupation in afghanistan. Soviet troops attack mujahideen positions in afghanistan.
Remaining soviet troops supported the soviet backed governments operations in paktia province against the mujahideen, hoping to relieve a besieged garrison at ali sher, and cut off supply lines to the mujahideen from pakistan. There were simply not enough soviet troops to defeat the mujahideen, and when it became apparent that far more troops would be needed to win, the soviet leadership chose instead to cut their losses and leave. The word mujahideen comes from the same arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. The soviets objective was to destroy the mujahideen logistic base situated. Feb 12, 2018 in this example the soviets had to move supplies to a large group of forces about 50 lulometers away. Aug 04, 2014 in the brutal nineyear conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 mujahideen fighters, 18,000 afghan troops, and 14,500 soviet soldiers. In the words of the mjuahideen fighters zenith military classics jalali, ali ahmad on.
The war against the soviets in afghanistan was run. Strategy for helping afghan freedom fighters introduction seven years after the soviet unions invasion of afghanistan soviet troops remain locked in a. We have not learned how to wage war there the soviet approach. Many districts and cities then fell to the mujahideen. Between 562,000 and 2,000,000 civilians were killed and millions of afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to pakistan and iran. But since then, many enduring myths have grown up about the wartorn country. In 1988, the soviet army left afghanistan after a concerted campaign by the westernbacked mujahideen. The soviet afghan war lasted ower nine years frae december 1979 tae februar 1989. Ali ahmadjalali, former afghan army and mujahideen commander and. In fairness, this book sources only one document, and information about the inner workings of mujahideen forces and afghan society might have been sparse prior to 2002. Also lacking was more detail on the mujahideen perspective on the war.
Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war by ali ahmad jalali and lester w. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war kindle edition by jalali, ali ahmad, grau, lester w download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. But since then, many enduring myths have grown up about the war torn country. Grau the other side of the mountain is a compilation of after action reports on tactical operations in afghanistan in the 1980s, from the mujahideen perspective. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Ussr passport of an afghanistan war participant passport. Sep 04, 20 china and the soviet union had a number of border incidents during the 1980s and at one time a war was possible, in the 1980s china could not take on the ussr in a war and expect to win so anything that could distract thesoviets was a good thing. The war against the soviets in afghanistan was run by zia, not by us by haley parsons best defense guest reporter cia veteran bruce riedels new book. The afghan war quickly settled down into a stalemate, with about 100,000 soviet troops controlling the cities, large towns, and major garrisons and the mujahideen roaming relatively freely throughout the countryside. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war by ali ahmad jalali and lester w. Reading this book may help us avoid the costly mistakes made by the soviets. The battle of jaji occurred in april 1987, during the first stage of withdrawal of soviet forces from their war in afghanistan.
The soviet afghan war was published in 2002, just a year into the us intervention into afghanistan. Soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war every point. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war ali ahmad jalali, lester w. The soviet war in afghanistan was a nineyear period involving the soviet forces and the mujahideen insurgents that were fighting to overthrow afghanistans marxist peoples democratic party of afghanistan pdpa government. How a superpower fought and lost modern war studies by the russian general staff, lester w. How did the mujahideen finally defeat the soviets in. Nov 06, 2015 this footage of a soviet raid in afghanistan against mujahideen fighters is absolutely phenomenal.
Based on hundreds of interviews with former mujahideen in the mid 1990s, it is an invaluble account of how asymmetric warfare looks from the guerrillas side. It raged almost for 10 years, from december 1979 to february 1989. Mcghee on 24 september 1979, lead elements of the soviet 40th army were ordered to cross the border into afghanistan. Accounts of mujahideen activity were told entirely from the soviet perspective. List of military equipment used by mujahideen during. The mujahideen were eventually able to neutralize soviet air power through the. No one predicted the soviet union would withdraw in defeat in 1989. The soviet afghan war, lasting from 1979 to 1989, was one of the longest and costliest foreign military operations undertaken by the ussr. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the atlantic. Sep 17, 2019 the word mujahideen comes from the same arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. The saddest part is that the many of the civlians soviet soldiers fought and died to defend from the mujahideen terrorists were indifferent to their sacrifices or actually supported the mujahideen.
This book is very highly recommended to military professionals and their civilian counterparts. When the soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979, few experts believed the fledgling mujahideen resistance movement had a chance of withstanding the modern, mechanized onslaught of the soviet army. The war also marked the beginning of substantial american involvement in the region. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the opposition,called the mujahedeen, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. Afghanistan civil war, mujahideentaliban phase 19922001. Until washington provided the rebel mujahideen with stinger surfacetoair. Between 562,0002 million civilians were killed and millions of afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to pakistan and iran. Back from afghanistan the experiences of soviet afghan war. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the. The sovietbacked afghan government survived until the fall of kabul in 1992. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. The soviet afghan war was a major conflict of syphon filter 3.
This book clearly shows that, far from being defeated by the mujahideen, the soviet army did pretty much everything they set out to do. Mujahideen project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Sputnik looks back at the soviet campaign, the consequences of which continue to affect russia and all the parties involved in the afghan peace process. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, as well as. But somehow, the mujahideen prevailed against a larger and decisively better equipped foe. A coalition built mainly of the mujahideen parties that had fought the communists set up a fragile interim government, but. Mujahideen, as well as the soviet recognition of initial problems related to. Written by russian staff officers who fought the war, this book goes into great. Out of those interviews grau wrote three books, this one being the second with ahmed jalali. The insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, 9 as well as weapons and billions of dollars from the united states, united kingdom, saudi arabia.
Najibullah was finally ousted from power in april 1992, soon after the breakup of the soviet union which had continued to provide military and economic assistance to the kabul government. As warfare became more sophisticated, outside support and regional coordination grew. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more. The book is broken into chapters like raids, ambushes. Many weapons were also captured from soviet or dra forces. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen.
Violent wars were fought between different occupying. Outnumbered and outgunned, they used classic guerrilla tactics to gradually wear down and finally. The road, although an allseason major highway, was vulnerable to mujahideen ambushes at almost the large green zone to the south of kandahar. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your. Grau with several new mciadeveloped vignettes from recent u.
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