Soviet–Afghan War
- Date
- December 1979 – February 1989
- Category
- Military & conflict
- Region
- Central/South Asia (Afghanistan)
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in late December 1979 (the 40th Army's main incursion began on 24–25 December) to prop up the embattled communist government in Kabul.
They faced a protracted insurgency by the mujahideen, who received substantial covert support from the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others. The war became a costly quagmire: roughly 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, while estimates of Afghan deaths range from around one million to higher figures, with millions displaced as refugees. Under Gorbachev, the Soviet Union negotiated a withdrawal; the last troops crossed the border on 15 February 1989. The conflict drained Soviet resources and prestige, deepened domestic disillusionment, and is widely seen as a contributing factor to the USSR's collapse. It also left a militarised, fragmented Afghanistan that shaped later regional conflict.
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Empires active in December 1979 – February 1989
- Soviet Union1922 CE – 1991 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
- Yugoslavia1918 CE – 1992 CE
Related military & conflict events
- Fall of Saigon and reunification of Vietnam30 April 1975 (reunified 1976)
- Khmer Rouge Seize Cambodia and Declare Year Zero1975
- The Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi7 April – 19 July 1994
- Cuban Missile Crisis16–28 October 1962
- The September 11 attacks11 September 2001
- Korean War25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953
Also relevant
Further reading
The wider story
Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present
Bold single-volume history placing the steppe and Silk Road at the center of Eurasia.
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