The Soviet–Afghan War

1979–89

The Soviet–Afghan War cover

Description

A fully illustrated overview of the USSR's bloody conflict in Afghanistan and its long legacy.

The Soviet invasion of its neighbour Afghanistan in December 1979 sparked a nine-year conflict until Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, 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 Fremont-Barnes reveals how the Soviet invasion had enormous implications on the global stage; it prompted the US Senate to refuse to ratify the hard-won SALT II arms-limitation treaty, and the USA and 64 other countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. For Afghanistan, the invasion served to prolong the interminable civil war that pitted central government against the regions and faction against faction.

Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and new images throughout, this succinct account explains the origins, events and consequences of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, shedding new light on the more recent history – and prospects – of that troubled country.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Background to War
Warring Sides
Outbreak
The Fighting
The World Around War
How the War Ended
Conclusion and Consequences
Chronology
Further Reading
Index

Product details

Published Feb 13 2024
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 144
ISBN 9781472861801
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations Fully illustrated in colour and black & white
Dimensions 210 x 149 mm
Series Essential Histories
Short code ESS
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Gregory Fremont-Barnes

Gregory Fremont-Barnes holds a doctorate in Modern…

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