The Cold War in Afghanistan

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 and how it was the culmination of years of Soviet policy that thrust that country into the maelstrom of the Cold War. It discusses the Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War and their focus on the alliances of the United States. The paper also discusses the US policy towards Afghanistan during this time.

From the Paper:

"The year 1986 was one of the most important for the Cold War conflict in Afghanistan. As Gorbachev attempted to reform the USSR through his policies of glasnost and perestroika, he was faced with mounting criticism of the Soviet actions in Afghanistan. Pressure grew internationally, economically, internally and by non-aligned countries; even China made normalization of their relations contingent on withdrawal. His capitulation to this pressure was made clear with his speech to the 27th CPSU Congress in February 1986. In this famous speech, Gorbachev referred to the Afghan war as a "bleeding wound," communicating his intent to begin to disengage. While history has proven Gorbachev's intentions to have been sincere, in Washington, although there was some cautious optimism, there was no easing of the US support to the resistance. In fact, just the opposite occurred."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Elie Krakowski. "Afghanistan and Soviet Global Interests." Afghanistan: The Great Game Revisited. ed. Rosanne Klass. (New York, NY: Freedom House, 1990) 168
• Steve Coll. "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001." (Penguin: New York, 2004) 47.
• Robert M Gates. "From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War." (New York: Simon & Shuster, 1996) 152
• Dr. Nabi Misdaq,. "Afghanistan: Political Frailty and Foreign Interference." (Routledge: London, 2006) 158.
• Zbigniew Brzezinski. "Reflections on Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. Memo to President from

More papers on The Cold War in Afghanistan:

• Analytical Essay # 113131 : "The Cold War in Afghanistan"
• Analytical Essay # 146358 : "US War in Afghanistan"
• Term Paper # 110136 : "The Cold War"

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