
Video
The Soviet-Afghan War, lasting from 1979 to 1989, was a pivotal conflict of the Cold War, characterized by heavy combat between the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), Soviet forces, and Afghan mujahideen guerrillas supported by various international actors including Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and Gulf Arab states. This foreign involvement turned the war into a proxy battle between the US and the Soviet Union, predominantly fought across Afghanistan's rural landscapes. The war resulted in up to 3 million Afghan casualties and displaced millions, significantly impacting Afghanistan's population and infrastructure.
Initiated by a Soviet invasion aimed at supporting the pro-Soviet PDPA government, the war drew international condemnation, leading to sanctions against the Soviet Union. Soviet forces aimed to secure urban centers and communication routes, expecting a quick stabilization of the PDPA regime followed by withdrawal. However, faced with intense mujahideen resistance and challenging terrain, the conflict extended, with Soviet troop levels reaching approximately 115,000.
The war exerted considerable strain on the Soviet Union, consuming military, economic, and political resources. By the mid-1980s, under Mikhail Gorbachev's reformist agenda, the Soviet Union initiated a phased withdrawal, completed by February 1989. The withdrawal left the PDPA to fend for itself in a continuing conflict, leading to its eventual fall in 1992 after Soviet support ended, precipitating another civil war. The profound impacts of the Soviet-Afghan War include its contribution to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War, and leaving a legacy of destruction and political instability in Afghanistan.