What were the reasons for the Russian attack on Afghanistan?

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on December 24 1979 under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty. The treaty was signed in 1978 and the two countries agreed to provide economic and military assistance.

How did the Soviet Afghan war contribute to the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Among the reasons for the fall of the Union, the invasion of Afghanistan was one of the poorest decisions that was made by the Soviet government. The occupation of Afghanistan caused irreversible internal conflicts between the Soviet republics and the Soviet government.

What happened after the Soviet Afghan war?

Despite having failed to implement a sympathetic regime in Afghanistan, in 1988 the Soviet Union signed an accord with the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and agreed to withdraw its troops. The Soviet withdrawal was completed on February 15, 1989, and Afghanistan returned to nonaligned status.

Did the Soviet Union have a side in the Afghan War?

But the Afghan war had another side. For the first time since its 1979 invasion, the Soviet Union spoke publicly of atrocities committed by Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan.

What happened to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan?

The mujahideen guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the Soviet military, which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the country in 1989, after which the rebels’ war against the communist Afghan government continued.

Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan in 1979?

By the winter of 1979, faced with mutinies and an uncertain leadership, the Afghan Army was unable to provide basic security to the government against the onslaught of Islamic fighters nearing Kabul. By that point the Soviets were sending in motorized divisions and Special Forces. Washington demanded an explanation, which the Soviets ignored.

What happened in Afghanistan in the mid-80s?

Soviet troops on the move in Afghanistan, mid-1980s. A troop of Muslim rebels equipped with old-fashioned rifles, east of Kabul, on February 21, 1980. At the time, anti-Communist rebels were attacking traffic at will on the main supply route from Pakistan to Afghanistan’s capital.