Soviet afghanistan began to develop in 1919 when the new government of the soviet union began to supply guns and money to the afghans to support them in their war with england. After several years of allied relations with the former soviet union soviet influenced military overthrew the prime minister mohammad daoud khan in 1978. Khan, who led a successful military coup in 1973 to overthrow the afghan king, was executed along with his family by the pro soviet regime.

Khan's reign became very corrupt and autocratic leading to severe economic hardships to the country. After seizing power the new pro soviet government began implementing cultural and social progress initiatives designed to eliminate feudal structures which had existed in tribal afghanistan for many centuries. These initiatives conflicted with the culture and religion islam the conflict in afghanistan is far from over even with the recent actions of president obama rsquo s rhetoric of withdrawing combat troops by 2014. The american troops should have held on until the afghans have a stable government operating smoothly. This research paper examines the genesis and development of this war while at the same time analyzing the actions of the current regime. historical background of the conflict december 25, 1979, marked the official deployment of soviet armed forces in the kingdom of afghanistan.

Afghanistan inclined towards the soviet union for maintenance after the united states convened military ties with pakistan in 1954. This provided the soviets with a strategic point in afghanistan at the intersection to counteract the alliance of pakistan, the us, and the immediate persian gulf states. The main aim of the soviets to enter afghanistan in 1979 was to establish a key position in asia with possibilities of trade and gulf oil access shaban, 2006. King zahir shah was the leader who, like his forerunner, was unable to amalgamate the underlying tribal people with a core government. This division of the afghan influential and core government from the tribal leaders ultimately led to a revolt in opposition to the monarchy. In april 1978, the saur revolution occurred during which the afghan communist party people rsquo s democratic party of afghanistan took power in a coup, which killed the prime minister, creating a space for foreign invasion due to the lack of a justifiable government in the country shaban, 2006.

Shortly after its entry in afghanistan, the soviet union imposed both military and social modifications that started to create enemies in various categories of the indigenous population. They initiated different reforms, which were inclusive of land reforms that led to trouble with tribal leaders. It was either economic measure implemented that led to worsened conditions for the poor majority or further trying to limit ethnic uprisings through mass arrests, executions, torture of dissidents, and aerial bombardments. The mujahedeen resistance together with afghan freedom fighters whom the united states backed led to a massive crackdown by the soviet union shaban, 2006. In december 1978, the soviet afghan friendship treaty was signed by amin permitting military assistance and advice to afghanistan when the country requires. The soviet used the treaty to solidify an ally in asia leading to soviet forces taking control of afghanistan in december 1979 and appointing kamal barbak, a former deputy prime minister and pdpa leader, as the head of state shaban, 2006.

The resistance by mujahedeen was a success, and by the early 1980s a range of mujahedeen groups were combating against the soviet forces and pro soviet afghan government troops. The anti aircraft missiles donations to the mujahedeen by the united states led to substantial losses of the soviet aircraft and troops. The united states expressed its disagreement with the soviet occupation by boycotting moscow olympics in 1980.

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Barbak was ousted as prime minister in 1986 amid continuing hostilities between the soviet forces and mujahedeen. This was because of ineffectiveness and he was replaced by mohammad najibullah, a former chief of the afghan secret police. The precarious position of amin rsquo s regime in comparison to that of the rebels made him naturally desire the soviet military assistance, which fitted well into soviet plans since a military buildup would need to commendably disguise the soviet putsch. Snow impeded the rate of the soviet upsurge and consequent deployments and also obstructed the movement of rebel forces and averted them from opportunistically grasping the proposal when the soviet took on their afghan partners. In any case, the soviet army was expected to execute more than sufficiently in winter circumstances while the rebels took back to their usual mid winter hibernation.

Embassy and the long crisis in excess of the american hostages could have been expected to dwell in the washington's mind. This was very similar to the suez crisis diverting it from the 1956 involvement in hungary and the vietnam war. The debatable performance of the carter government in the september 1979 crisis of the soviet troops in cuba hardly made the soviets consider invading afghanistan. Based on this experience, kremlin may have been tempted to deem that even if the carter government had found the attack of afghanistan too faulty, it would have accepted it and after a few weeks redefined the crisis as non existent. The anti communist groups drew some of their maintenance from the united states that persisted in standing by their policy of containment.

This led to various covert operations in opposition to the afghan government, such as assisting the mujahedeen rebel groups. Afghanistan majority resisted the invasion, and even though the soviets were advanced militarily, they were not capable to add control of the nation, having to engage in a guerrilla war. Placed an embargo on certain commodities getting to the ussr they also boycotted the 1980 olympics.

Further, in the following years, the soviets were not capable to find a solution to the conflict. The soviets rsquo primary reason for the invasion was to keep a friendly government in authority though, they also wanted to gain access to the afghan oil deposits. However, a similar problem to what the americans had encountered during the vietnam war faced them. International community opposed the incursion and supported rebel groups with the aim of weakening the soviet influence in the region. A number of issues like mines, which have not exploded in the region, has remained to the present times.

These events geared the war in the middle east, which stayed behind as one of the world's most volatile regions. Fifteen thousand soviet soldiers together with numerous afghans were killed in the decade long war. Furthermore, billions were exhausted each year in support of troops in afghanistan. Unable to overcome the mujahedeen and hard pressed by a worldview to leave afghanistan, the soviet leader gorbachev resolved that the ussr had to get out.