Some of the causes of the soviet unions withdrawal from afghanistan leading to the afghanistan regimes eventual defeat include. This book literally gives you a breakdown of operations, tactics raids. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan has 5 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. In 1979, the soviet union decided to try its luck in afghanistan, long a target of russian foreign policy. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, invasion of afghanistan in late december 1979 by troops from the soviet union. 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. Its borders were arbitrarily drawn by outside powers. This paper is largely a paraphrase of two excellent books. In the context of the cold war, this move initially caused a considerable surprise and excitement in the west, as it was seen as an indirect threat for the situation in the persian gulf, especially after the us lost their most important ally in the area, the shah of iran, which was overthrown in february of the same.
Pakistans role as a safe haven is remarkably consistent in both conflicts, but focusing exclusively on that similarity. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the war from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Soviet air confrontations with pakistan air force, during. The bear went over the mountain soviet combat tactics in. When the soviet union decided to invade afghanistan, they. The united states is fighting a talibanled insurgency in afghanistan that operates from a safe haven in pakistan. According to the allunion military service law of september 1925, the soviet armed forces consisted of three components. Afghan guerrilla warfare 1995 and the soviet afghan war 2001, perspectives from the russian general staff, mujahideen fighters and fmso analysts.
In 1988, the soviet army left afghanistan after a concerted campaign by the westernbacked mujahideen. The soviet army of 1980 was trained and equipped for large scale, conventional warfare in central europe against a similar opponent, i. Nominally a union of multiple national soviet republics, d in practice its government and economy were highly centralized. It is not a history of the soviet afghan war, but snapshots of combat as seen by young platoon leaders, company commanders, battalion commanders and military advisers. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. Aug 15, 2010 in 1979, the soviets had illsuited uniforms and inferior fighting tactics, and found it impossible to defeat the popular afghan guerrilla army. They had underestimated their enemy and lacked the. When the soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979, they soon realized that their army had the wrong equipment, the wrong training, and the wrong tactics to fight the mujahideen. Aug 15, 2014 when the soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979, few experts believed that the fledgling mujahideen resistance movement had a chance of withstanding the modern, mechanized, technologicallyadvanced soviet army. The ogpu was later made independent and amalgamated with the nkvd in 1934, and thus its internal troops were under the joint. When the soviet union decided to invade afghanistan, they evaluated their chances for success upon their experiences in east germany, hungary and czechoslovakia. Many suggest that the outcome will be the same for the united states as it was for the soviet unionultimate defeat at the hands of the insurgency.
Sep 27, 2011 in 1988, the soviet army left afghanistan after a concerted campaign by the westernbacked mujahideen. This collection of vignettes was written by soviet junior officers describing their experiences fighting the mujahideen guerillas. The translatoreditor established his credentials with his first two books on this subject. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the opposition,called the mujahedeen, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. That government collapsed only when the soviet union collapsed, and gorbachevs successor, boris yeltsin, decided to end all russian aid, in money and kind, to afghanistan. In particular, analysis of military effectiveness focuses almost entirely on tactics and does not attempt a detailed appraisal of flawsstrengths in soviet strategy. Jan 20, 2009 the soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for american foreign policy today. Full text of the bear went over the mountain soviet combat. Many historians believe that in the end, the soviet war in afghanistan was key in destroying one of the cold war worlds two superpowers. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions.
Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war with ali jalali. The bear went over the mountain is about as niche as books get. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan ebook written by lester w. Baumann when on 2425 december 1979 soviet forces invaded afghanistan, they intended to conduct a neat, surgical intervention to.
However, after several pages of the same vignettes and the repetitive style of the chapters, i quickly got bored and jumped to the conclusion after getting 34 of the way through the book. The soviet unions almost accidental war in afghanistan. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan from the worlds largest community of readers. The sovietafghan 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 september 11th sourcebooks national security archive.
Russia in afghanistan 1979 to 1989 part 1 of 3 youtube. Soviet invasion of afghanistan project gutenberg self. Unfortunately for their soldiers, as well as the people of afghanistan, they ignored not only the experiences of the british in the same region, but also their own experience with the basmachi resistance fighters in. Full text of the bear went over the mountain soviet combat tactics in afghanistan see other formats. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. For cold war era, specifically afghanistan id suggest the bear went over the mountain. Grau this collection of vignettes was written by soviet junior officers describing their experiences fighting the mujahideen guerillas. The soviet union, china and angloamerican intelligence in the afghan war library of middle east history only 1 left in stock more on the way. 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. The soviet union, officially the union of soviet socialist republics ussr, was a federal socialist state in northern eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991 and was the largest country in the world.
The three misunderstandings of soviet counterinsurgency in. Soviet leader mikhail gorbachev has been intimating that the soviet union is tiring of the sixyearold war in. Full text of the bear went over the mountain soviet. This unabridged quality reprint will provide tremendous insight for historians, journalists and anyone deployed in afghanistan.
But since then, many enduring myths have grown up about the wartorn country. Soviet paratrooper vs mujahideen fighter osprey publishing. Originally printed in very limited numbers in 1995, this book is a companion piece to the bear went over the mountain. 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 enemy, which eventually. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet union s vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen. Good books on soviet military strategy and tactics. Soviet forces in afghanistan, rather than on strictly operational analysis. The politburo sessions of january 17 and 28, 1980 carried extensive discussions of the situation in afghanistan. It was a oneparty state governed by the communist party, with. Their premier army training center, the frunze military academy, produced this book to capture the lessons learned from the sovietafghan war. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the other side of the mountain. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war.
Grau what is remarkable about the situation in afghanistaneven astonishingis that the americans, after watching 100,000 russians fight afghans at great expense with no success for nine years, have signed on for a dose. Full text of the bear went over the mountain soviet combat tactics in afghanistan. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the the bear went over the mountain soviet combat tactics in afghanistan, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. Pakistans role as a safe haven is remarkably consistent in both conflicts, but focusing exclusively on that similarity misses. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan 10th anniversary edition, it is easy to draw parallels and between the soviet experience and the more recent experience of the american and british forces who are operating in the same areas. Understanding that the soviet unions troublesome economic and international situation was complicated by its involvement in the afghan war, gorbachev had decided to seek a withdrawal from afghanistan and had won the support of the politburo to do so by october 1985 193. He has is the author of three books on the sovietafghan war, including the other side of the mountain. In 1979, the soviets had illsuited uniforms and inferior fighting tactics, and found it impossible to defeat the popular afghan guerrilla army. Nevertheless, this is a very strong book and certainly vital reading for understanding the importance of the soviet war in afghanistan. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war illustrated edition ebook written by lester k. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan by lester w grau, lieutenant colonel editor online at alibris.
The bear went over the mountain soviet combat tactics in afghanistan. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. May 25, 20 great information and incite into the soviet tactics in afghanistan during their occupation. The army later taught him russian, and his tours of duty included frequent trips to the soviet union and elsewhere. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan, translated from the russian and edited by lester w. When the soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979, few experts believed that the fledgling mujahideen resistance movement had a chance of withstanding the. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war with ali jalali. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad.
Lester w grau illustrated with over a hundred maps. Consequently, in afghanistan the soviet army found its tactics inadequate to meet the challenges posed by the difficult terrain and the highly motivated mujahideen freedom fighters. Grau what is remarkable about the situation in afghanistan even astonishingis that the americans, after watching 100,000 russians fight afghans at great expense with no success for nine years, have signed on for a dose. To capture the lessons their tactical leaders learned in afghanistan and to explain the change in tactics that followed, the frunze military academy compiled this book for their command and general staff combat arms officers. An outline study, syllabus and bibliography third edition, 1946, by american russian institute page images at hathitrust. In 2009, the bbc republished a soviet booklet on afghanistan first published in 1987, giving vital tips to internationalist soldiers and officers. Unless you are a student of counterinsurgency, of the former ussr and of afghanistan, you are. Its a little disturbing, in some cases, to see just how the american and british forces, had to relearn the same tactical lessons the soviets did, and i can say that as a member of the united states army reserves, i wish. It is not a history of the sovietafghan war, but snapshots of combat as seen by young platoon leaders, company commanders, battalion commanders and military advisers. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an. Fourfifths of the afghan national army deserted in the first year of the war, which, compounded with the spread and intensification of the rebellion led by the formidable guerrilla fighters of the mujahideen, forced the soviets to intensify their involvement. Nominally a union of multiple national soviet republics, in practice its government and economy were highly centralized.
I have learned much from the other two books as well. Lyakhovsky and other authors report that at the same time, the top soviet military and political leadership held secret deliberations on the possibility of early withdrawal of soviet forces from afghanistan. When the soviet union decided to invade afghanistan, they evaluated their. Their premier army training center, the frunze military academy, produced this book to capture the lessons learned from the soviet afghan war. Most stated that resistance was futile and that the soviet union had deliberately expanded their empire to the south. Its a translation of a series of combat reports from the soviet afghan war, used as a text for soviet army officer cadets to study. The meat in the sandwich, an excellent trilogy of books on the soviets in afghanistan. He has is the author of three books on the soviet afghan war, including the other side of the mountain. In late december 1979, the soviet union invaded afghanistan. The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for american foreign policy today. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war conflict studies research centre isbn 1903584590 january 2002 background. Grau 2010, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the bear went over the mountain. To capture the lessons their tactical leaders learned in afghanistan and to explain the change in tactics that followed, the frunze military academy compiled this.