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Afghan resistance fighters return to a village destroyed by Soviet forces

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

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South Asia

Afghanistan

Soviet soldier taking a photograph of another soldier in Red Square, Moscow, 1959

Eastern Europe

Soviet Union

Aerial view of National Mall

North America

United States

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South Asia

Pakistan

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Middle East

Portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China, 1972.

East Asia

China

President Ronald Reagan, Vice-President Bush, and oviet General Secretary Gorbachev

United States-Soviet Relations

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Najibullah, Mohammad

1947 - 1996

Leonid Brezhnev, 1974.

Brezhnev, Leonid Il'ich

1906 - 1982

Sino-Soviet Relations

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Soviet Union. Communist Party. Central Committee (CPSU CC). Politburo

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Mikhail Gorbachev, 1986

Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeevich

1931 - 2022

Sino-Soviet Split, 1960-1984

Soviet Foreign Policy

Andrei Gromyko at the UN, 1981

Gromyko, Andrei Andreevich

1909 - 1989

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Amīn, Ḥafīẓ Allāh

1929 - 1979

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Leonid Brezhnev Collection

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May 10, 1981	Report of Military Leaders to D. F. Ustinov This document reveals reluctance on the part of the Soviets to maintain military involvement in Afghanistan, and difficulty in shaping a newly forming Afghan government. The PDPA's efforts to establish a democratic government, Soviets analysts revealed, were hampered by tribalism and strong ethnic disagreements regarding the scope and shape of their government.
January 1, 1989	A January 1989 USSR Council of Ministers Instruction A decision authorizing military aid, totaling 6 million Soviet rubles.
March 18, 1979	Telephone Conversation between Soviet Premier Alexei N. Kosygin and Afghan Premier Nur Mohammed Taraki This conversation reveals the difficulty that the Afghan political leadership faced in establishing a government--despite substantial military aid and advice from the Soviet Union.
December 27, 1979	Soviet Foreign Ministry Circular to Soviet Ambassadors on the Situation in Afghanistan, Instructions for Meeting with Heads of Government 'Outside Interference' in Afghan affairs lead Soviet officials to provide limited military aid and supplies in order to stabilize Afghanistan. Soviets, in pointing to a time-table for their involvement, stated that they would leave Afghanistan as soon as the foreign interference no longer exists.
December 27, 1979	Soviet Foreign Ministry Circular Cable to Soviet Ambassadors on the Situation in Afghanistan, Instructions for Meeting with Communist Party Leaders This document reveals the struggles facing Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Local individuals reacted negatively to outside Soviet involvement, which threatened to overturn the results of the April Revolution. Also, Soviets believed that the CIA, and Beijing’s leadership, were attempting to de-stabilize Afghanistan.
December 27, 1979	Cable to the Soviet Representative at the UN on the Development of the Situation in Afghanistan This document provides a statement to the UN Security Council, explaining the Soviet position on Afghanistan. The Soviets justify involvement in Afghan affairs--citing UN Article 51, which, in the context of this document, legalizes national defense efforts in response to the presence of outside forces.
October 17, 1978	Soviet communication to the Hungarian leadership on the situation in Afghanistan This document discusses Hungary’s role in Afghanistan in terms of solidarity between the USSR and Afghanistan, and the impact of divisions within Afghan's political parties.
March 28, 1979	Soviet Communication to the Hungarian Leadership on the Situation in Afghanistan This document discusses the strained political situation in Afghanistan in terms of counter-revolutionaries attempting to overthrow the government. Such revolutions in part came from reactionary Muslim regions, some of which are replete with Shiites who may have been influence by the Chinese government.
December 28, 1979	Soviet Communication to the Hungarian Leadership on the Events in Afghanistan This document provides an overview of the Soviets concern regarding instability in Afghanistan. Such an unstable state of affairs was the basis for Soviet invasion into Afghanistan; Hungary's support is requested.
January 23, 1980	Report on the talks of Gyula Horn, representative of the HSWP CC Foreign Department in The United States and Canada This document provides a summary of the main points covered in a meeting of Hungary, the United States, and Canada. The US expresses concern about the Soviet's offensive in Afghanistan, how it may lead to a preponderance of Soviet power in the region. The US contends it needs to maintain its influence in the Middle East-despite additional Soviet influence-as it is important for raw materials.