On a potential repeat of the soviet war in afghanistan i think the russian government is unlikely, as they say in russian, step into that river twice. Russian, the us army russian institute in garmisch, and the. Best iraq and afghanistan war books some of the best books out there about the wars in iraq and afghanistan. Because of russian military cultural preferences for a bigwar paradigm that have been embedded over time, moreover, this work posits that continuity rather than change was much. This is the 7th book on the soviet afghan war ive read, and lester grau kept up his reputation with this book for historical investigative detail. Still others wanted to reshape the regional balance of power among pakistan, india, iran and russia. Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers. Your next choice is the logic of violence in civil war by stathis kalyvas. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in afghanistan until midfebruary 1989. When i was interviewing veterans of the sovietafghan war for my doctorate, many and horrifying were the accounts of parties fueled by aftershave, rosewater, and rubbing alcohol. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war.
The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states. To understand afghan society, read before taliban and heroes of the age by david edwards, and afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989. A century of change among the zala khan khel the carlsberg foundations nomad research project by gorm pedersen, ida nicolaisen hardcover afghanistan diary. A russian journalists account of the soviet war in afghanistan. The soviet invasion had enormous implications on the. The origins and conduct of the war and the operational organisation of soviet forces are discussed. Richard nortontaylor relives russias illfated afghan adventure. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
See the complete afghanistan war series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the end of americas war in afghanistan the russian agents book 3. When i was researching a 2009 book about the soviet war, i found. Soldiers of c2 are ambushed in the pech valley on july 24, 2006, hell is the korengal, and several more. Afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by.
Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the foreign mercenaries, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. It aims to discern continuity or change in methods and doctrine. Kalinovsky tells the most complete story to date of soviet decisionmaking about the afghan war. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries. They stayed there for 9 years and more than 15,000 russian soldiers were lost dead, much more were wounded or had psychological problems in their civil life later. The anglorussian agreement of 1907 guaranteed the independence of afghanistan under british influence in foreign affairs. This is in no way a comprehensive list of books or films about afghanistan, or even everything that i have read, but its a good start for anyone who wants to learn more. The best books on afghanistan recommended by thomas barfield.
Popular afghanistan war books showing 150 of 163 the kite runner paperback by. United front islamic state of afghanistan stalemate. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an immediate increase in the. This study examines and compares the performance of the soviet military in afghanistan and the russian military in chechnya.
This study explores the nature of the insurgency in afghanistan, the key challenges and successes of the campaign, and the. The soviet war in afghanistan in pictures, 19791989. Soviet invasion of afghanistan history learning site. The ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished prosoviet regime in kabul. That conflict is still in progress and the taliban are losing it. Khaled hosseini goodreads author shelved 9 times as afghanistan war avg rating 4. The war in afghanistan and its effects on the soviet economy.
A russian journalists account of the soviet war in soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the sovietafghan. 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. The war created a cleavage between the party and the military in the soviet union where the efficacy of using the soviet military to maintain the ussrs overseas interests was now put in doubt. The soviet invasion of its neighbour afghanistan in december 1979 sparked a bloody nineyear conflict in that country until soviet forces withdrew in 198889, dooming the communist afghanistan government to defeat at the hands of the mujahideen, the afghan popular resistance backed by the usa and other powers. Gregory feifer relates these events in his fascinating new book, the great gamble. Civil war in afghanistan 19962001 taliban islamic emirate of afghanistan alqaeda. Currently foreign editor of ogonyok, the ussrs leading weekly news magazine and a staunch supporter of glasnost, he offers in this work an introductory essay which speculates on the scenario for the soviet unions entry into afghanistan in late december 1979, followed by two gripping accounts of russian soldiers under fireone in the spring. List of books and articles about afghan history online. The scene sums up much of the folly of the soviet war in afghanistan.
The final and complete withdrawal of soviet combatant forces from afghanistan began on 15 may 1988 and ended on 15 february 1989 under the leadership of colonelgeneral boris gromov. Stalemate with varying fronts between the taliban and massouds forces united front islamic republic of afghanistan 2001present. The soviet war in afghanistan went on for nine years, starting in december of 1979 and continued until february of 1989. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. But since then, many enduring myths have grown up about the wartorn country. The war in afghanistan had a major impact on domestic politics in the soviet union. Abd arrahman khan died in 1901 and was succeeded by his son habibullah. 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. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in soviet russian history, military historians and also to anyone interested in the terrors of war and what it was like to witness it. The sad fate of postcivil war reconstruction might have taught the united states that remaking societies through military occupation is a chancy business at best.
A comprehensive study of both sides in the afghan war. This is not about afghanistan, but rather a book that made a big contribution to the theoretical framework for understanding violence in civil war. 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. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a. I believe is an epic statement to the russian experience in afghanistan.
Afghanistan seemed to perfectly summarise the cold war. On the 30th anniversary of russias invasion of afghanistan, russian vets talk about losing more than 14,000 lives in their afghanistan war that ended in retreat. Winning and losing in afghanistan, potomac books, 2009, provides. Mcmichael the military situation that confronted the soviet army in afghanistan during its nineplus years of occupation december 1979 to february 1989 differed significantly from the soviets prewar expectations. This is a provocative and important book, telling us what the soviet military was thinking and feeling as it lost its war in afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. This near decade long war resulted in millions of afghans fleeing their country, primarily to pakistan and iran. I learned more about the details of this war in a single chapter from this book than i have in all the other books combined.
At the end of december 1979, the soviet union sent thousands of troops into afghanistan and immediately assumed complete military and political control of kabul and large portions of the country. Planning for the withdrawal of the soviet union ussr from the afghanistan war began soon. From the wests point of view, berlin, korea, hungary and cuba had shown the way communism wanted to proceed. In short order, nearly 100,000 soviet soldiers took control of major. Understanding war in afghanistan ndu press national defense. Book party made by history five myths posteverything. The end of americas war in afghanistan the russian agents book 3 kindle edition by halstead, ted. The military hierarchy denied the enlisted men legal access to drink, yet fighting a highstress and in the early years, at least officially unacknowledged. From the great game to the global war on ghost wars. The soviet army, counterinsurgency, and the afghan war. Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the.
The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the art of intelligence. Soviet afghan war part of the cold war and the continuous afghanistan conflict mujahideen fighters in the kunar province of afghanistan in 1987 date december 24, 1979 february 15, 1989 9 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day location afghanistan result mujahideen victory soviet failure to quell the afghan mujahideen insurgency geneva accord 1988 withdrawal of soviet forces from. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. The end of americas war in afghanistan the russian. Afghanistan had been in a state of almost constant war for 20 years even before the us invaded. The forever war is one of the books about the war in afghanistan and iraq that gives a detailed account of how america deals with the challenges faced during the wars. The soviet afghan 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. Arnold wrote this book at the point in time when the war reached the point of stalemate. There are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history. The war in afghanistan twenty eight years ago russian army has entered afghanistan. The author was a foreign correspondent for the new york times, and gives a historical account of afghanistan and the taliban as it rose to power in the 90s. The assimilation of soviet veterans from afghanistan seems, on the whole, less traumatic than the ordeal of many american veterans of the vietnam war. Created initially as a reserve officers training corps textbook, this second volume in a twovolume overview of the armys story covers the period from world war i to the early days of the wars in afghanistan and iraq. In his enlightening and refreshing book, largely based on russian sources, rodric.
Russia in afghanistan 1979 to 1989 part 1 of 3 youtube. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Trump was wrong about the soviet war in afghanistan the atlantic. I t critiques the western engagement in afghanistan as fragile and points to the confusion and bewilderment that characterise it. Boozing through the sovietafghan war was more horrifying. The army was demoralized as a result of being perceived as an invader. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. A russian journalists account of the soviet war in a military history of afghanistan. It was one of the key factors in the delegitimization of communist party rule. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978.
At its present shape, it provides a useful o vervie w of the ev olving situation in afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of afghan civilians were killed in addition to the rebels in the war. Yes, in picking five books on the war in afghanistan, i chose three books on afghanistan and two on conflict itself. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops.
As nato troops move toward their final withdrawal this year, afghans worry about what will come next, and russian involvement in neighboring. So if were doing such a great job, why does it feel like were losing. Print anthony arnold provides a rightwing overview of the american perspective on the afghanistan war. Afghanistan made it russia because they went bankrupt fighting in. Civil society reacted to the intervention by marginalizing the afghan veterans. In 1988, the soviet army left afghanistan after a concerted campaign by the westernbacked mujahideen. Lessons from a life in the cias clandestine service. Despite british pressure, afghanistan remained neutral in world war i. Anthropologist and afghanistan expert thomas barfield gives a panoramic view of afghanistan, from founding dynasties to the failed central asian states of today.
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