Soviet Union Invasion of Afghanistan Research Paper

Soviet Union Invasion of Afghanistan - Research Paper Example The paper describes also the aftermaths of the war. With the collaboration of America-Pakistan against the USSR, Afghanistan saw an emergence of ongoing guerrilla warfare. The United states, through Pakistan, funded the Afghan insurgents and Mujahideen, financing them with weapons as well as money. The Soviets suffered enormously through the hands of this mujhahideen. The soviets had to pay a huge price because of this ferocious resistance as it turned out to be disastrous in terms of military, financially as well as diplomatically. In 1988, the Geneva accords were signed and it included in it a time table which ensured a full Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989. Estimates of the Afghan death vary from 1 million to around 2 million. 15000 soviet soldiers were also injured and killed in the war. Around 10 million Afghans fled to Pakistan as well as Iran. Another 2 million Afghan people were displaced within the country. The Aerial bombing by the soviets destroyed important stru ctures like irrigation canals which were extremely crucial to the agriculture in and arid climate. Most of the farmers who decided to stay in Afghanistan had their fields and irrigation systems bombed and live stocks destroyed. The Landmines alone killed 25000 Afghans during the war and another 10-15 million land mines have been left scattered throughout the country. Even today, Afghan people die or are critically injured as a result of these land mines. A year after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the USSR collapsed. Similarities between the USSR and US war in Afghanistan: Of course, there are many similarities between the Soviet strategies and policies of their Afghan war of 1979 and the American tactics in Afghanistan since 2001. In 1980s, the USSR was failing in Afghanistan even after a new leadership was emerging the capital of the Soviet Union. The new leadership started to make new strategic changes in order to rescue