Soviet–Afghan War (dec 25, 1979 – feb 15, 1989)

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The Soviet-Afghan War was a 46-year-long conflict that occurred in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. The conflict involved the Soviet Union and Afghan military fighting against the rebelling Afghan mujahideen, who were supported by various countries and organizations. The majority of the mujahideen's support came from Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, as well as a large influx of foreign fighters known as Afghan Arabs. American and British involvement on the side of the mujahideen escalated the Cold War, ending a short period of relaxed Soviet Union–United States relations.

The conflict resulted in the deaths of one to three million Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees. Most externally displaced Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan and Iran. Between 6.5 and 11.5% of Afghanistan's erstwhile population of 13.5 million people (per the 1979 census) is estimated to have been killed over the course of the Soviet-Afghan War. The decade-long confrontation between the mujahideen and the Soviet and Afghan militaries inflicted grave destruction throughout Afghanistan and has been cited by scholars as a significant factor that contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In March 1979, there had been a violent uprising in Herat, where a number of Soviet military advisers were executed. The ruling People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) asked for urgent Soviet military assistance, and in 1979, over 20 requests were sent. Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin advised Afghan prime minister Nur Muhammad Taraki to use local industrial workers in the province, believing they would be supporters of the Afghan government. Eventually, a compromise was reached to send military aid, but not troops.

The Soviet government initially planned to secure Afghanistan's towns and road networks, stabilize the PDPA, and withdraw all their military forces in a span of six months to one year. However, they faced fierce resistance from Afghan guerrillas and experienced great operational difficulties on the rugged mountainous terrain. By mid-1987, reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced that the Soviet military would begin a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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