In the brutal nineyear conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 mujahideen fighters, 18,000 afghan troops, and 14,500 soviet soldiers. Since the 1970s, the cia has engaged in multiple operations in afghanistan. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 2005, by steve coll. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Throughout the cold war, the united states and the soviet union competed for power and influence in different areas of the world. Reading this book may help us avoid the costly mistakes made by the soviets. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. The hitandrun bloodletting across the war s decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a. The soviet union began trying to build its influence in afghanistan.
The soviet invasion of neighbouring afghanistan in december 1979 sparked a bloody nineyear conflict with the mujahideen until soviet forces withdrew in 198889, dooming the communist afghanistan government to defeat by afghan popular resistance backed by the usa and other powers. First published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the soviet war in afghanistan in the 1980s. Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. The voices in this oral history will provide personal snapshots to the news reports of the taliban activities now coming out of afghanistan. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. A superb book on the soviet afghan war up there with the bear went over the mountain. Afghan insurgent tactics, techniques, and procedures field guide based on the other side of the mountain. The sovietafghan war, 197989 essential histories 075. T his is the book that every politician, every general, every diplomat contemplating getting into, or out of, afghanistan should be made to read. Operation cyclone was the code name for the united states central intelligence agency cia program to arm and finance the mujahideen in afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, prior to and during the military intervention by the ussr in support of its client, the democratic republic of afghanistan. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan.
Short summary of the soviet war in afghanistan synonym. During the last years of the cold war, the soviet union sent some of its most elite troops to unfamiliar lands in central asia to fight a vaguely defined. Grau, lieutenant colonel lester w, gress, michael a. The first two dealt respectively with soviet and mujahideen tactics. It was a program to arm and finance the mujahideen fighters in afghanistan prior to and during the military intervention by the ussr. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the sovie. During world war ii, the united states and the soviet union fought together as allies against the axis powers. It is also another translation from original works by the soviet genreral staff, this time a collection of papers based on their analysis of the armies performance over its extended deployment in afghanistan.
Mujahideen usmc tactics in the soviet afghan war with several new mciadeveloped vignettes from recent u. The author analyses their deliberate policy of migratory genocide through a combination of aerial. This is the third volume in a trilogy on the operational aspects of the soviet afghan war of 19791988. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics. The soviet invasion of its neighbour afghanistan in december 1979 sparked a bloody nineyear conflict in that country until soviet forces withdrew in 198889, dooming the communist afghanistan government to defeat at the hands of the mujahideen, the afghan popular resistance backed by the usa and other powers. The sovietafghan war 197989 by gregory fremontbarnes. The soviet invasion had enormous implications on the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
This is an account of the afghan war and its tragic aftermath as told by the women who were caught up in it and became its innocent victims. President reagan had seen an expansion of the reagan doctrine, which aided anti soviet. This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in afghanistan until midfebruary 1989. This photographic history of the sovietafghan war of 1979 to 1989 gives a fascinating insight. Lester grau and michael gresss expert english translation of the general staffs study offers the very. In the great gamble, a groundbreaking account of the soviet invasion of afghanistan, former npr moscow correspondent gregory feifer vividly depicts the war. On december 27, 2007, the history channel broadcast the true story of charlie wilson, a twohour documentary about the congressmans afghan war efforts and his personal life. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Best iraq and afghanistan war books some of the best books out there about the wars in iraq and afghanistan. This is the 7th book on the sovietafghan war ive read, and lester grau kept up his reputation with this book for historical investigative detail.
Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the sovietafghan war, 19791989 by zammis schein aug 28, 2016 4. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army. How a superpower fought and lost modern war studies by the russian general staff, lester w. The first book, heroes of the age, looks at the competition within afghanistan between tribe, state and islam. Excelent book for anybody interested in afghanistan, soviet union wars or. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the sovietafghan war. Gregory fremontbarnes 2012 pdf the soviet invasion of its neighbour afghanistan in december 1979 sparked a bloody nineyear conflict in that country until soviet forces withdrew in 198889, dooming the communist afghanistan government to defeat at the hands of the mujahideen, the afghan.
This book, the sovietafghan war 197989, by gregory fermontbarnes, is an entry in osprey publishings essential history series. These accounts provide an historical background to the growth of the taliban, and reveal. In the soviet afghan war the russian general staff takes a close critical look at the soviet militarys disappointing performance in that war in an effort to better understand what happened and why and what lessons should be taken from it. This is the 7th book on the soviet afghan war ive read, and lester grau kept up his reputation with this book for historical investigative detail. This photographic history of the soviet afghan war of 1979 to 1989 gives a fascinating insight into a grim conflict that prefigured the americanled campaign in that country. Nik spender in graphic novel format, introduces the soviet war in afghanistan. Afghanistan history soviet occupation, 19791989 juvenile literature.
Download first published in 1985, this is a book written at the height of the soviet war in afghanistan in the 1980s. Afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by. The hitandrun bloodletting across the war s decade tallied more than. Afghan insurgent tactics, techniques, and procedures field. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the. The soviet afghan war, 197989 essential histories 075 osprey publishing author.
At the end of december 1979, the soviet union sent thousands of troops into afghanistan and immediately assumed complete military and political control of kabul and large portions of the country. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. The soviet afghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. The first major operation, code named operation cyclone, began in 1979.
They were supported by britains mi6 who also conducted their own covert actions. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions. In an unequal struggle, the mujahedeen resisted for ten years, then triumphed over moscow. I remember i finished this book flying from herat to mazaresharif in the summer of 2009. I learned more about the details of this war in a single chapter from this book than i have in all the other books combined. The sovietafghan war 197989 ebook written by gregory fremontbarnes. Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers.