And the republican system was established. This was the impetus for the start civil war between various socio-political and nationalist forces of the country.
In April 1978, the People's Democratic Party (PDPA) came to power in Afghanistan. The radicalism of the new Afghan leadership, the hasty destruction of the centuries-old traditions of the people and the foundations of Islam, strengthened the population's resistance to the central government. The situation was complicated by foreign interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. The USSR and some other countries provided assistance to the Afghan government, and NATO countries, Muslim states and China provided assistance to the opposition forces.
By the end of 1979, the situation in the country had become sharply complicated, and the threat of overthrowing the ruling regime loomed. In this regard, the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) repeatedly appealed to the USSR with a request to send military units to the country. The Soviet side initially rejected this form of intervention, but, in the context of the worsening Afghan crisis, on December 12, 1979, the leadership of the USSR, fearing the transfer of hostilities to the territory of the Central Asian republics, decided to send troops to provide military assistance to the government of Afghanistan. The decision was made at a meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee in accordance with Article 4 of the Soviet-Afghan "Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborhood and Cooperation", concluded on December 5, 1978, and formalized by a secret resolution of the CPSU Central Committee.
Enter Soviet troops Afghanistan was considered by the political leadership of the USSR as a short-term measure aimed at ensuring the security of the southern borders of the Soviet Union.
The main task of the limited contingent of Soviet troops (OCSV) was to create a “cordon sanitaire” at the borders of the USSR in the face of the looming threat of the spread of Islamic fundamentalism on the territory of the Soviet Muslim republics.
On December 16, 1979, an order was given to separate the field administration of the 40th Army from the administration of the Turkestan Military District (TurkVO) and its complete mobilization. The first deputy commander of the TurkVO troops, Lieutenant General Yuri Tukharinov, was appointed commander of the army. Formations and units of the 40th Army were fully mobilized 10-12 days before entry.
The commissioning and deployment of OKSV in the DRA began on December 25, 1979. By mid-January 1980, the introduction of the main forces of the 40th Army was basically completed. Three divisions (two motorized rifle and one airborne), an air assault brigade, two separate regiments and other units were introduced into Afghanistan.
Subsequently, the combat strength of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan was constantly updated in order to strengthen it. The largest number of OKSV (1985) was 108.7 thousand people, including 73.6 thousand people in combat units. The composition of the OKSV mainly included: the command of the 40th Army, three motorized rifle and one airborne divisions, nine separate brigades and seven separate regiments, four front-line regiments and two army aviation regiments, as well as rear, medical, repair, construction and other units and divisions.
The general management of OKSV was carried out by the operational group of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which was headed by Marshal of the USSR Sergei Sokolov, and since 1985 - Army General Valentin Varennikov. Direct control of the combat and daily activities of the OKSV was carried out by the commander of the 40th Army, subordinate to the command of the TurkVO troops.
Soviet troops in Afghanistan guarded and defended national economic facilities, airfields, and roads vital for the country, and carried out transport convoys with cargo through the territory under the control of the armed opposition.
To reduce the military activity of the opposition, OKSV conducted active military operations of various scales using the entire arsenal of conventional weapons, and carried out air strikes on opposition bases. In accordance with the decision of the political leadership of the USSR, Soviet troops, in response to numerous attacks on their garrisons and transport convoys by opposition units, began to carry out joint attacks with Afghan units fighting to search for and eliminate the most aggressive enemy armed groups. Thus, the Soviet troops brought into Afghanistan found themselves involved in an internal military conflict on the side of the country's government against the opposition forces, to whom Pakistan provided the greatest assistance.
The presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and their combat activities are conventionally divided into four stages.
Stage 1: December 1979 - February 1980. The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, their placement in garrisons, the organization of protection of deployment points and various objects.
Stage 2: March 1980 - April 1985. Conducting active combat operations, including large-scale ones, together with Afghan formations and units. Work to reorganize and strengthen the armed forces of the DRA.
3rd stage: May 1985 - December 1986. The transition from active combat operations primarily to supporting the actions of Afghan troops Soviet aviation, artillery and sapper units. Special forces units fought to suppress the delivery of weapons and ammunition from abroad. The withdrawal of six Soviet regiments to their homeland took place.
Stage 4: January 1987 - February 1989. Participation of Soviet troops in the Afghan leadership's policy of national reconciliation. Continued support for the combat activities of Afghan troops. Preparing Soviet troops for the return to their homeland and implementing their complete withdrawal.
Even after sending troops to Afghanistan, the USSR continued to look for opportunities for a political resolution of the intra-Afghan conflict. Since August 1981, he tried to ensure the negotiation process of the DRA with Pakistan and Iran, and since April 1986, to promote a systemic policy of national reconciliation.
On April 14, 1988, in Geneva (Switzerland), representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the USSR and the USA signed five fundamental documents on the settlement of the political situation around Afghanistan. These agreements regulated the process of withdrawal of Soviet troops and declared international guarantees of non-interference in the internal affairs of the republic, the obligations of which were assumed by the USSR and the USA. Deadlines for the withdrawal of Soviet troops were set: half of the limited contingent was withdrawn by August 15, 1988, the remaining units - after another six months.
On May 15, 1988, the withdrawal of OKSV began, which was completed on February 15, 1989. The withdrawal of troops was led by the last commander of the 40th Army, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov.
About 620 thousand military personnel completed military service in Afghanistan, including 525.2 thousand people in the OKSV.
The losses of the 40th Army personnel were: killed and killed - 13,833 people, including 1,979 officers and generals, wounded - 49,985 people. During the fighting on the territory of Afghanistan, in addition, 572 military personnel of state security agencies, 28 employees of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as 190 military advisers, including 145 officers, were killed. Due to injuries, 172 officers stopped serving in the Armed Forces. 6,669 Afghans became disabled, including 1,479 people disabled in the first group.
For military and other merits, over 200 thousand people were awarded orders and medals, 86 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 28 of them posthumously.
(Additional
The military conflict in Afghanistan, which began more than thirty years ago, remains the cornerstone of world security today. The hegemonic powers, in pursuit of their ambitions, not only destroyed a previously stable state, but also crippled thousands of destinies.
Afghanistan before the war
Many observers, describing the war in Afghanistan, say that before the conflict it was an extremely backward state, but some facts are kept silent. Before the confrontation, Afghanistan remained a feudal country in most of its territory, but in major cities, such as Kabul, Herat, Kandahar and many others, had a fairly developed infrastructure, these were full-fledged cultural and socio-economic centers.
The state developed and progressed. There was free medicine and education. The country produced good knitwear. Radio and television broadcast foreign programs. People met in cinemas and libraries. A woman could find herself in public life or manage a business.
Fashion boutiques, supermarkets, shops, restaurants, and a host of cultural entertainment existed in the cities. The outbreak of the war in Afghanistan, the date of which is interpreted differently in sources, marked the end of prosperity and stability. The country instantly turned into a center of chaos and destruction. Today, power in the country has been seized by radical Islamist groups who benefit from maintaining unrest throughout the territory.
Reasons for the start of the war in Afghanistan
To understand the true reasons for the Afghan crisis, it is worth remembering history. In July 1973, the monarchy was overthrown. The coup was carried out by the king's cousin Mohammed Daoud. The general announced the overthrow of the monarchy and appointed himself president of the Republic of Afghanistan. The revolution took place with the assistance of the People's Democratic Party. A course of reforms in the economic and social sphere was announced.
In reality, President Daoud did not carry out reforms, but only destroyed his enemies, including the leaders of the PDPA. Naturally, discontent in the circles of the communists and the PDPA grew, they were constantly subjected to repression and physical violence.
Social, economic, and political instability in the country began, and external intervention by the USSR and the USA served as an impetus for even more massive bloodshed.
Saur revolution
The situation was constantly heating up, and already on April 27, 1987, the April (Saur) Revolution took place, organized by the country’s military units, the PDPA and the communists. New leaders came to power - N. M. Taraki, H. Amin, B. Karmal. They immediately announced anti-feudal and democratic reforms. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan began to exist. Immediately after the first jubilations and victories of the united coalition, it became clear that there was discord between the leaders. Amin did not get along with Karmal, and Taraki turned a blind eye to this.
For the USSR, the victory of the democratic revolution came as a real surprise. The Kremlin was waiting to see what would happen next, but many prudent Soviet military leaders and apparatchiks understood that the start of the war in Afghanistan was just around the corner.
Participants in the military conflict
Just a month after the bloody overthrow of the Daoud government, new political forces were mired in conflicts. The Khalq and Parcham groups, as well as their ideologists, did not find common ground with each other. In August 1978, Parcham was completely removed from power. Karmal, together with his like-minded people, travels abroad.
Another setback befell the new government—the implementation of reforms was hampered by the opposition. Islamist forces are uniting into parties and movements. In June, armed uprisings against the revolutionary government began in the provinces of Badakhshan, Bamiyan, Kunar, Paktia and Nangarhar. Despite the fact that historians call 1979 the official date of the armed conflict, hostilities began much earlier. The year the war in Afghanistan began was 1978. The civil war was the catalyst that pushed foreign countries to intervene. Each of the megapowers pursued its own geopolitical interests.
Islamists and their goals
Back in the early 70s, the organization “Muslim Youth” was formed in Afghanistan. Members of this community were close to the Islamic fundamentalist ideas of the Arab “Muslim Brotherhood”, their methods of struggle for power, including political terror. The primacy of Islamic traditions, jihad and suppression all kinds of reforms that contradict the Koran - these are the main provisions of such organizations.
In 1975, Muslim Youth ceased to exist. It was absorbed by other fundamentalists - the Islamic Party of Afghanistan (IPA) and the Islamic Society of Afghanistan (IAS). These cells were led by G. Hekmatyar and B. Rabbani. Members of the organization were trained to conduct military operations in neighboring Pakistan and were sponsored by the authorities foreign countries. After the April Revolution, opposition societies united. The coup in the country became a kind of signal for military action.
Foreign support for radicals
We must not lose sight of the fact that the start of the war in Afghanistan, the date of which in modern sources is 1979-1989, was planned as much as possible by foreign powers participating in the NATO bloc and some If earlier the American political elite denied involvement in the formation and financing of extremists, then new Age brought some very interesting facts to this story. Former employees The CIA left a lot of memoirs in which they exposed the policies of their own government.
Even before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the CIA financed the mujahideen, set up training bases for them in neighboring Pakistan and supplied the Islamists with weapons. In 1985, President Reagan personally received a mujahideen delegation at the White House. The most important US contribution to the Afghan conflict was the recruitment of men throughout the Arab world.
Today there is information that the war in Afghanistan was planned by the CIA as a trap for the USSR. Having fallen into it, the Union had to see the inconsistency of its policies, deplete its resources and “fall apart.” As we see, this is what happened. In 1979, the start of the war in Afghanistan, or rather, the introduction of a limited contingent became inevitable.
USSR and support for the PDPA
There are opinions that the USSR prepared the April Revolution for several years. Andropov personally supervised this operation. Taraki was a Kremlin agent. Immediately after the coup, friendly assistance from the Soviets to brotherly Afghanistan began. Other sources claim that the Saur Revolution was a complete surprise for the Soviets, albeit a pleasant one.
After the successful revolution in Afghanistan, the USSR government began to monitor events in the country more closely. The new leadership, represented by Taraki, showed loyalty to friends from the USSR. KGB intelligence constantly informed the “leader” about instability in the neighboring region, but the decision was made to wait. The USSR took the beginning of the war in Afghanistan calmly, the Kremlin was aware that the opposition was sponsored by the States, it did not want to give up the territory, but the Kremlin did not need another Soviet-American crisis. Nevertheless, I did not intend to stand aside; after all, Afghanistan is a neighboring country.
In September 1979, Amin killed Taraki and proclaimed himself president. Some sources indicate that the final discord in relation to former comrades occurred due to the intention of President Taraki to request the USSR to send a military contingent. Amin and his associates were against it.
Soviet sources claim that the Afghan government sent them about 20 requests to send troops. The facts state the opposite - President Amin was opposed to the introduction of the Russian contingent. A resident in Kabul sent information about the US attempts to drag the USSR into the USSR. Even then, the leadership of the USSR knew that Taraki and the PDPA were residents of the States. Amin was the only nationalist in this company, and yet they did not share with Taraki the $40 million paid by the CIA for the April coup, this was the main reason for his death.
Andropov and Gromyko didn’t want to listen to anything. In early December, KGB General Paputin flew to Kabul with the task of persuading Amin to call on USSR troops. New President was relentless. Then on December 22 an incident occurred in Kabul. Armed “nationalists” burst into a house where Soviet citizens lived and cut off the heads of several dozen people. Having impaled them on spears, the armed “Islamists” carried them through the central streets of Kabul. The police who arrived at the scene opened fire, but the criminals fled. On December 23, the government of the USSR sent a message to the government of Afghanistan, informing the president that Soviet troops would soon be in Afghanistan in order to protect the citizens of their country. While Amin was thinking about how to dissuade the troops of his “friends” from invading, they had already landed at one of the country’s airfields on December 24. The start date of the war in Afghanistan is 1979-1989. - will open one of the most tragic pages in the history of the USSR.
Operation Storm
Units of the 105th Airborne Guards Division landed 50 km from Kabul, and the KGB special forces unit “Delta” surrounded the presidential palace on December 27. As a result of the capture, Amin and his bodyguards were killed. The world community gasped, and all the puppeteers of this idea rubbed their hands. The USSR was hooked. Soviet paratroopers captured all major infrastructure facilities located in major cities. Over 10 years, more than 600 thousand Soviet soldiers fought in Afghanistan. The year the war in Afghanistan began was the beginning of the collapse of the USSR.
On the night of December 27, B. Karmal arrived from Moscow and announced the second stage of the revolution on the radio. Thus, the beginning of the war in Afghanistan is 1979.
Events of 1979-1985
After the successful Operation Storm, Soviet troops captured all major industrial centers. The Kremlin's goal was to strengthen the communist regime in neighboring Afghanistan and push back the dushmans who controlled the countryside.
Constant clashes between Islamists and SA troops led to numerous civilian casualties, but the mountainous terrain completely disoriented the fighters. In April 1980, the first large-scale operation took place in Panjshir. In June of the same year, the Kremlin ordered the withdrawal of some tank and missile units from Afghanistan. In August of the same year, a battle took place in the Mashhad Gorge. SA troops were ambushed, 48 soldiers were killed and 49 were wounded. In 1982, on the fifth attempt, Soviet troops managed to occupy Panjshir.
During the first five years of the war, the situation developed in waves. The SA occupied the heights, then fell into ambushes. The Islamists did not carry out full-scale operations; they attacked food convoys and individual units of troops. The SA tried to push them away from large cities.
During this period, Andropov had several meetings with the President of Pakistan and members of the UN. The representative of the USSR stated that the Kremlin was ready for a political settlement of the conflict in exchange for guarantees from the United States and Pakistan to stop funding the opposition.
1985-1989
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the first secretary of the USSR. He was constructive, wanted to reform the system, and outlined a course for “perestroika.” The protracted conflict in Afghanistan slowed down the process of resolving relations with the United States and European countries. No active military operations were carried out, but still people died on Afghan territory with an enviable consistency soviet soldiers. In 1986, Gorbachev announced a course for a phased withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. In the same year, B. Karmal was replaced by M. Najibullah. In 1986, the leadership of the SA came to the conclusion that the battle for the Afghan people was lost, since the SA could not take control of the entire territory of Afghanistan. January 23-26 A limited contingent of Soviet troops conducted their last Operation Typhoon in Afghanistan in the Kunduz province. On February 15, 1989, all troops of the Soviet army were withdrawn.
Reaction of world powers
After the media announcement of the seizure of the presidential palace in Afghanistan and the murder of Amin, everyone was in a state of shock. The USSR immediately began to be viewed as a total evil and an aggressor country. The outbreak of the war in Afghanistan (1979-1989) for European powers signaled the beginning of the Kremlin’s isolation. The President of France and the Chancellor of Germany personally met with Brezhnev and tried to persuade him to withdraw his troops, Leonid Ilyich was adamant.
In April 1980, the US government authorized $15 million in aid to Afghan opposition forces.
USA and European countries called on the world community to ignore the 80 Olympics taking place in Moscow, but due to the presence of Asian and African countries This sporting event still happened.
The Carter Doctrine was drawn up precisely during this period of aggravated relations. Third world countries overwhelmingly condemned the actions of the USSR. On February 15, 1989, the Soviet state, in accordance with agreements with UN countries, withdrew its troops from Afghanistan.
Outcome of the conflict
The beginning and end of the war in Afghanistan are conditional, because Afghanistan is an eternal hive, as its last king said about his country. In 1989, a limited contingent of Soviet troops “organized” crossed the border of Afghanistan - this was reported to the top leadership. In fact, thousands of prisoners of war of the SA soldiers, forgotten companies and border detachments that covered the retreat of that same 40th Army remained in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan, after a ten-year war, was plunged into absolute chaos. Thousands of refugees fled their country to escape the war.
Even today the exact number of Afghan deaths remains unknown. Researchers voice a figure of 2.5 million dead and wounded, mostly civilians.
During the ten years of war, the SA lost about 26 thousand soldiers. The USSR lost the war in Afghanistan, although some historians claim the opposite.
The economic costs of the USSR in connection with the Afghan war were catastrophic. $800 million was allocated annually to support the Kabul government, and $3 billion to arm the army.
The outbreak of the war in Afghanistan marked the end of the USSR, one of the world's largest powers.
The Afghan War is a military conflict on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA). A limited contingent of Soviet troops took part in this conflict. The conflict took place between the Afghan government forces and the armed forces of the Afghan Mujahideen, which were supported by NATO, and primarily the United States, which actively armed the enemies of the Afghan regime.
Background to the Afghan War
The war itself, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, is defined in historiography by the presence of a limited contingent of the USSR Armed Forces on the territory of Afghanistan. But the beginning of the entire conflict must be considered 1973, when King Zahir Shah was overthrown in Afghanistan. Power passed to the regime of Muhammad Daoud, and in 1978 the Saur (April) Revolution took place, and the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, became the new government. Afghanistan began to build socialism, but all construction took place in an extremely unstable internal situation.
The leader of the PDPA was Nur Mohammad Taraki. His reforms were extremely unpopular in a country where traditionally the majority were rural residents. Any dissent was brutally suppressed. During his reign, he arrested thousands of people, some of whom were executed.
The main opponents of the socialist government were radical Islamists, who declared a holy war (jihad) against it. Mujahideen detachments were organized, which later became the main opposing force - the Soviet army fought against it.
The majority of Afghanistan's population was illiterate, and it was easy for Islamist agitators to turn the population against the new government.
Beginning of the war
Immediately after coming to power, the government was faced with the outbreak of armed uprisings organized by Islamists. The Afghan leadership was unable to cope with the situation and turned to Moscow for help.
The issue of assistance to Afghanistan was considered in the Kremlin on March 19, 1979. Leonid Brezhnev and other members of the Politburo opposed armed intervention. But over time, the situation at the borders of the USSR worsened, and opinion changed radically.
On December 12, 1979, a resolution was adopted by the CPSU Central Committee on the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. Formally, the reason was repeated requests from the Afghan leadership, but in fact these actions were supposed to prevent threats of foreign military intervention.
It must be remembered that, in addition to tense relations with the Mujahideen, there was no unity in the government itself. The internal party struggle, which reached its climax in September 1979, became particularly irreconcilable. It was then that the leader of the PDPA, Nur Mohammad Taraki, was arrested and killed by Hafizullah Amin. Amin took Taraki's place and, while continuing to fight against the Islamists, intensified repression within the ruling party.
According to Soviet intelligence, Amin tried to come to an agreement with Pakistan and China, which our experts considered unacceptable. On December 27, 1979, a detachment of Soviet special forces captured the presidential palace, Amin and his sons were killed. Babrak Karmal became the new leader of the country.
Progress of the war
As a result, our soldiers were drawn into the outbreak of a civil war and became its active participants.
The entire war can be divided into several stages:
1st stage: December 1979 - February 1980. Introduction to Afghanistan 40th Soviet army General Boris Gromov, deployment of garrisons, organization of security of strategic objects and locations.
2nd stage: March 1980 - April 1985. Conducting active large-scale combat operations. Reorganization and strengthening of the armed forces of the DRA.
3rd stage: May 1985 - December 1986. Reduction of active hostilities and transition to supporting the actions of Afghan government troops. Assistance was provided by aviation and sapper units. Organization of counteraction to the delivery of weapons and ammunition from abroad. Six regiments were withdrawn to their homeland.
4th stage: January 1987 - February 1989. Assisting the Afghan leadership in pursuing a policy of national reconciliation. Continued support for military operations carried out by government forces. Preparations for the withdrawal of Soviet troops.
In April 1988, an agreement was signed in Switzerland between Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve the situation around the DRA. Soviet Union pledged to withdraw its troops within nine months, and the United States and Pakistan were to stop supporting the Mujahideen. In April 1988, in accordance with the agreement, Soviet troops were completely withdrawn from Afghanistan.
Losses in the Afghan War
At the moment, it is known that the losses of the Soviet army amounted to 14 thousand 427 people, the KGB - 576 people, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 28 people (dead and missing). There were 53 thousand people wounded and shell-shocked during the fighting.
The exact data on Afghans killed in the war is unknown. According to various sources, these losses could range from 1 to 2 million people. From 850 thousand to one and a half million people became refugees and settled mainly in Pakistan and Iran.
After the end of the war
The Mujahideen did not take part in the Geneva negotiations and did not support these decisions. As a result, after the withdrawal of Soviet troops, hostilities did not stop, but even intensified.
Afghanistan's new leader Najibullah Soviet aid barely held back the onslaught of the Mujahideen. There was a split in his government, many of his associates joined the ranks of the opposition. In March 1992, General Dostum and his Uzbek militia abandoned Najibullah. In April, the Mujahideen captured Kabul. Najibullah long time hid in the UN mission building, but was captured by the Taliban and hanged.
The United States of America provided great assistance in supporting the counter-revolution in Afghanistan. They were the initiators and organizers of many international protests against the Soviet Union.
Back in 1980, an Islamic conference was organized, at which 34 foreign ministers demanded the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. At the instigation of the United States, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution protesting against Soviet intervention. American President D. Carter advocated a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
USA and Arab monarchies Persian Gulf organized unprecedented assistance to Afghan militants. With their money, Mujahideen were trained in Pakistan and China. Actively participated in operations against Soviet CIA forces.
Throughout the entire period of hostilities, the United States supplied the Mujahideen with a variety of modern weapons(recoilless rifles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, etc.).
In 1979, the USSR sent its troops into Afghanistan. Many people wonder why the leadership of the Soviet Union did this? The main reason is to stop the development of civil war in neighboring Afghanistan and support supporters of socialism. But did anyone push the USSR into armed conflict?
Let us recall that in 1979, the leadership of the USSR, in order to stop the development of civil war in neighboring Afghanistan, sent a limited contingent of troops there. This caused a violent reaction in the West: in particular, as a sign of protest, the United States and some other countries announced a boycott of the Moscow Olympics, which took place in 1980. The Soviet side lost about 15,000 soldiers in this war.
One of the US leaders of that time tells us the truth. It says that the USSR was lured to Afghanistan by the Americans.
The CIA appeared in Afghanistan before the Russians
Archived 1998 interview with President Carter adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski
about how the United States provoked the Soviet Union to intervene in Afghanistan. 
Nouvelle Observer (French weekly magazine): Former CIA Director Robert Gates writes in his memoirs that American intelligence agencies began helping the mujahideen in Afghanistan six months before the entry of Soviet troops there. At that time you were an adviser to US President Carter on national security, You were in the know. Do you confirm what Gates said?
Brzezinski: Yes. According to official version, The CIA began supporting the Mujahideen in 1980, that is, after the entry of the Soviet Army into Afghanistan on December 24, 1979. But in reality (this was kept secret until today) everything was different: in fact, President Carter signed the first directive on providing secret assistance to opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul on July 3, 1979. And on the same day I wrote him a memo in which I explained that, in my opinion, this assistance would entail military intervention by the Soviets.
Despite this risk, you were a supporter of this secret operation. But maybe you wanted this war for the Soviets and were looking for ways to provoke it?
Brzezinski:
We did not force the Russians to intervene, but we deliberately increased the likelihood that they would do so.
When the Soviets justified their actions by saying they intended to fight covert US involvement in Afghanistan, no one believed them. However, there was truth in their words... Do you have any regrets today?
Regret what? That secret operation was a brilliant idea. She let the Russians be lured into an Afghan trap, and you want me to be sorry? When the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter, essentially: "We now have the opportunity to provide the USSR with its own Vietnam War" In fact, Moscow had to fight an unbearable war for almost ten years, a conflict that led to demoralization and ultimately the collapse of the Soviet Empire.
Do you regret that you promoted Islamic fundamentalism, armed and advised future terrorists?
What is more important for world history? Taliban or the fall of the Soviet Empire? A few excited Islamists or the liberation of central Europe and the end of the Cold War?
- “Somewhat excited”? But it has been said repeatedly: Islamic fundamentalism today poses a global threat...
Nonsense! It would be necessary, as they say, for the West to have a common policy towards Islamism. This is stupid: there is no global Islamism. Let's look at Islam rationally and without demagogy or emotion. This world religion with 1.5 billion followers. But what do fundamentalist pro-Western Saudi Arabia, moderate Morocco, militaristic Pakistan, Egypt or secular Central Asia? Nothing more than what unites Christian countries.
The United States supplied the Afghan Mujahideen with advanced weapons - Stinger MANPADS
US arms supplies to Afghanistan
Afghanistan, 1980s. Mujahid with Stinger The USSR command promised the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to anyone who captured the Stinger MANPADS complex (Second Generation Man-portable Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems) in good condition. During the years of the Afghan War, Soviet special forces managed to obtain 8 serviceable Stinger MANPADS, but none of them became a Hero.
The Pentagon and the US CIA, arming Afghan rebels with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, pursued a number of goals, one of which was the opportunity to test the new MANPADS in real combat conditions. By supplying modern MANPADS to the Afghan rebels, the Americans “tried” them to supplying Soviet weapons to Vietnam, where the United States lost hundreds of helicopters and planes shot down by Soviet missiles. But the Soviet Union provided legal assistance to the government of a sovereign country fighting an aggressor, and American politicians armed anti-government armed forces Mujahideen (" international terrorists" - according to the current American classification). 
Despite the strictest secrecy, the first media reports about the supply of several hundred Stinger MANPADS to the Afghan opposition appeared in the summer of 1986. American anti-aircraft systems were delivered from the United States by sea to the Pakistani port of Karachi, and then transported by Pakistani Armed Forces vehicles to Mujahideen training camps. The US CIA supplied missiles and trained Afghan rebels in the vicinity of the Pakistani city of Rualpindi. After preparing the calculations in training center they, together with MANPADS, were sent to Afghanistan in pack caravans and vehicles.
USSR on the eve of the Afghan war
Several decades later, looking back into the past, one can name a number of reasons that ultimately led to the collapse of a huge and powerful country- THE USSR. The attitude towards this country these days can be different, some have it negative, some have it positive, some talk about the fate of the Soviet empire from a scientific point of view, but, probably, there is not a single person indifferent to this grandiose formation . In this regard, consideration of the reasons for the collapse of the USSR seems particularly hot topic. Yes, the collapse of the country is usually associated with reasons that lie on the surface, related to exorbitant expenses in the arms race, lower prices for energy resources, the unsuccessful restructuring that was launched, and the general rotting of the entire system. However, by and large, these processes, which, of course, became objective factors of the collapse, were just a consequence. A consequence of a deep systemic crisis and mistakes that took place back in the “golden” Brezhnev era. Speaking about Brezhnev’s policies, we can highlight two major miscalculations of the Secretary General. The first is the curtailment of the Kosygin reform, which revived the country's planned economy, and the rejection of which became one of the main reasons for the stagnation in the economy and its complete dependence on oil exports. The second grave miscalculation, which in the late 80s became literally a living symbol of the impending collapse of the USSR, was the decision to invade Afghanistan. The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan contributed to the deepening of the crisis in the economy, which ultimately became an important factor in the collapse of the country.
Reasons for the invasion
Afghanistan - a country located on the borders of the Central Asian republics of the USSR - became a troubled point in the late 70s. In 1978, a coup d'état took place in the country, in which the government of the USSR played an important role. The result of this was the establishment of a pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan. However, soon new government the country began to lose the threads of governance. Amin, who tried to instill communist ideals in Islamic Afghanistan, was quickly losing authority in society, an internal conflict was brewing in the country, and the Kremlin itself was not happy with Amin, who increasingly began to look towards the United States. Under these conditions, the USSR government began to search for a person who would suit it at the head of Afghanistan. The choice fell on the opposition Amina Babrak Karmal, who was in Czechoslovakia at that time. The reasons for the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, therefore, are largely related to a possible change in the country’s foreign policy vector. Having identified a new leader for the neighboring country, the USSR, after a series of consultations with Brezhnev, Marshal Ustinov and Foreign Minister Gromyko, began to intervene in the country.
Invasion and progress of the war
The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan began on December 25, 1979. Just two days later, special forces groups organized an assault on the presidential palace, during which Amin was killed, after which power was transferred to Karmal. Initially, a small contingent was introduced into the country. However, the country soon became one of the hottest spots in the East. Having occupied the entire country, Soviet troops nevertheless could not establish constitutional order here. Mujahideen detachments opposed what was in fact an occupation. Soon the whole country began to fight against the presence of Soviet troops, and every village turned into a stronghold of resistance. In addition, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan complicated the country's international position. The policy of détente in American-Soviet relations was thwarted; moreover, Afghan fighters began to receive weapons and funding from Washington, and Afghanistan itself turned into a typical testing ground of the Cold War.
End of hostilities
Year after year passed, and the situation in Afghanistan did not improve; a number of brilliant operations of the Soviet army, such as, for example, the galaxy of Panjshir operations, could not bring the main thing - a change of mood in Afghan society. Residents of the country were categorically opposed to the ideology of the Soviets, and the Mujahideen were gaining more and more popularity. The losses of Soviet troops grew, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan provoked a noticeable increase in military spending, growing discontent in society, by the way, the intervention also became the reason for a boycott by many countries Olympic Games 1980, taking place in Moscow. The unspoken defeat of the superpower was becoming obvious. As a result, the inglorious campaign of the Soviet army ended in February 1989: the last soldier left the country on February 15. Despite the fact that this war can be called a failure, the Soviet soldier confirmed his skills, stamina, heroism and courage. During the war, the USSR lost more than 13,000 people killed. The country's economic losses were also significant. Every year, about 800 million dollars were allocated to support the puppet government, and supplying the army cost 3 billion. Thus, this confirms the thesis that the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan worsened the situation in the country’s economy, and ultimately became one of the reasons for its systemic crisis.