Soviet-Afghan War Books

About Soviet-Afghan War

The Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989) was a significant Cold War-era conflict that saw the Soviet Union intervene militarily in Afghanistan to support the communist government against a growing insurgency. The war began when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 to prop up the faltering People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which was facing internal dissent and external pressure from Islamist fighters, collectively known as the mujahideen. The conflict quickly escalated into a protracted guerrilla war in the mountainous terrain, with the mujahideen receiving substantial support from the United States, Pakistan, China, and Saudi Arabia. The CIA funneled weapons, including Stinger missiles, to resistance fighters under Operation Cyclone, dramatically increasing Soviet casualties. The war took a tremendous toll on Afghanistan’s civilian population, leading to millions of deaths, widespread destruction, and a massive refugee crisis. For the Soviet Union, it became a costly quagmire—militarily, economically, and politically—contributing to internal dissent and the eventual collapse of the USSR in 1991. The war officially ended in 1989 when Soviet forces withdrew, but the power vacuum it left behind plunged Afghanistan into further chaos and civil war, eventually leading to the rise of the Taliban. The Soviet-Afghan War had lasting consequences for global geopolitics, Islamic militancy, and the balance of power in Central Asia.