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VINCENT MARCHESSAULT 260746740 HIST 304 MARCH 22 2017

THE SOVIET INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN AND ITS

CONSEQUENCES ON THE INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS

SECTION 1. How does the event relate to the Cold War?

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late December 1979 to support the communist

regime they implemented in 1978 which faced both inner and outer troubles. This

invasion brought a shift in international relations that turned against Moscow and started

a new phase of the Cold War. After almost 10 years of Dtente, the invasion of

Afghanistan stopped neatly the Soviet-US rapprochement and rather pushed both sides to

undertake a military buildup in Europe. Moreover, the Soviet influence over the non-

aligned and Third World countries had considerably reduced afterwards. In addition, the

conflict provided a fertile ground to Islamic movements. In spite of the social and

economic issues in the USSR that existed prior to the invasion, the Afghan events

progressively increased the pressure Moscow was facing both in the domestic and

international realms.

I chose this particular focus because international relations are relevant and useful in

providing explanations to the events occurring on the following decade in Europe and in

the Middle East.

I did not look at any secondary literature.

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SECTION 2. How did the newspapers cover the event?

AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE FROM THE SOVIET UNION

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is as an unprecedented event that represents a new

start in East-West confrontations after a decade of Dtente. The fact that Moscow has

invaded a pacific country outside USSR after previous tests in Angola and Ethiopia

shows that the Soviets are still seeking to impose their ideology through military

strength.1 Furthermore, the Soviet Union seems to have reached a turning point, having

depart[ed] from long standing policy of caution and now us[ing] its own forces to annex
2
a nation not previously regarded as part of the Soviet Empire. After their moves in

Africa, together with Cubans, which caused little protest in the West, Soviets felt that the

world was now relatively indifferent to the international advancement of communism

outside Moscows attributed zone of influence.

Moreover, what distinguishes this invasion from the previous operations is that it now

contravenes with the operational code of the Cold War based on shared perception of

power.3 The recent events in Iran were also an argument for the proponents of the

favorable gains the Soviets were making, even indirectly, against capitalism. This is

perhaps why the international reactions to the invasion came quickly and strongly from

the West, but also from the Third World, both in ways that surprised Moscow.

1
The Danger: A new Cold War, Toronto Star, January 5 1980, p.B6.
2
Experts see soviets peace moves after Afghanistan, Toronto Star, January 22 1980, p.A8.
3
War or Peace?, Sunday Star, January 27 1980, P. A10.
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STRONG REACTIONS AMONGST THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES

Third World severe criticism towards USSR is regarded as a gain for the West, especially

because Moscow had tried for a long time to establish ties with African and Asian

countries. Now, because of the invasion, all its gains vanish and the Kremlin appears to
4
be isolated on the international stage. The sole states that have defended the Soviet

Union against a US-led condemnation at the UN are East Germany and Viet Nam.5

Moreover, many countries now fear a similar treatment on their own land if they dont

comply with the Kremlins will. Moscow, which attacked a small state that neither

represented a threat to its interests nor represented the Western camp, is increasingly seen

by the Third World countries as a deliberate aggressor more than a liberator of peoples

oppressed by capitalism.

The invasion has thus operated a shift in relations between the Superpowers and the non-

aligned states, raising doubt on Moscows dominance over these states and alienating

most of them.6 It even pushes most of the Third World countries to request aid from the

West, which is now regarded as a friend and possible ally. 7 The situation is similar in

the Muslim World, [w]here just a month ago, the Americans were the helpless target

(...), today the Moslem countries are virtually united in their anti-Soviet fury. 8

4
US sanctions make sense, Sunday Star, January 13 1980, P. A8.
5
Third World turns on Soviets, Toronto Star, January 10 1980, P.A8.
6
Ibid.
7
US sanctions make sense, Sunday Star, January 13 1980, P. A8.
8
Ibid.
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NEW STEPS IN EAST-WEST CONFRONTATION

The unprecedentedness of the soviet move in Afghanistan makes the Western countries

concerned about the eventuality of further aggressions in this region of Wests crucial

strategic interests. This is especially concerning in the case of Pakistan and Iran, with the

formers involvement in a US military alliance. A possible attack on this country would

thus have dramatic consequences. The situation is alarming for West precisely because of

the uncertainness of the Soviets intentions.9 In this new phase of the Cold War, the

invasion reflects the Soviet reaction to American policy and the plight of Soviet-

American relations.10 In response, the US will install their nuclear missiles in Western

Europe. 11

In Europe, USSR had its hands tied and therefore tried to exploit weaknesses and breach

elsewhere in order to keep the revolution alive. Russia, with its lack of economic power,

has come to see the military as a mean to take pride of place in the Soviet grand

strategy.12 An important concern for the US is therefore to deter the Soviet Union from

exploiting targets of opportunity 13

in the region: for this reason, the US is

progressively removing the legal barriers that prevented it from (legally) providing

weapons to this country. 14

9
Experts see soviets peace moves after Afghanistan, Toronto Star, January 22 1980, p.A8.
10
Ibid.
11
Afghanistan could become Moscows own Vietnam, Toronto Star, January 2 1980, P. A8.
12
Assessing the costs of the soviet invasion, Sunday Star, April 20 1980, P.B4
13
Weve been through crisis before, Sunday Star, January 27 1980, P. A10.
14
UN initiative aims at Soviet troops pull-out, Toronto Star, January 4 1980, P.A12.
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SINO-AMERICAN MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE

Another consequence of the invasion is the apparent rapprochement between China and

the United States. At the UN, China requested the immediate withdrawal of Soviets

troops.15 For the first time, a US minister of Defense had gone to China and was invited

to inspect a combat tanks canons in January 1980.16 This anecdote illustrates how

despite sensitive topics, such as Taiwan or the human rights, which still divide the two

countries, President Carter seems to have chosen its side and decided to be not only anti-
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Soviet, but pro-Chinese. Both countries agreed to coordinate their efforts to improve

the defenses of the neighbor countries of Afghanistan.18 However, because of the several

controversial topics, this alliance appears to be more a marriage of convenience than

an actual rapprochement.

SECTION 3. What do the original documents tell us about the event?

SOVIET PERCEPTION OF EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN

For the Soviets, the operation in Afghanistan was a totally justified act of assistance done

to preserve the democratic system established in the aftermaths of the 1978 April

Revolution. Therefore, the provision of troops on the ground was a move of comradeship

upon the request of the Afghan government and made without a single grain of

15
China, Pakistan blast Moscow in a UN confrontation, Sunday Star, January 6 1980, P.A6.
16
Soviet aggression brings US and China together, Sunday Star, January 13 1980, P.A8.
17
Ibid.
18
Soviet aggression brings US and China together, Sunday Star, January 13 1980, P.A8.
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avarice.19 However, they expected the United States to seek a pretext to revive the

spirit of the Cold War and heat up military passions 20

and that any grounds are used

for this, real or imagined. 21 Thus, the Soviets did not trust the United States, which had

not ratified the SALT II agreement yet, and accused it of breaking the peaceful

coexistence Moscow had been trying to build for a decade.22 In the need of preserving

the ideals established by the 1978 Revolution, which both the United States and China

attempt to combat, the Kremlin had no other choice that using military actions in
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Afghanistan. It was a question of survival of the Afghan communist regime while the

Western powers, besides China, were trying to pursue aggression by sending weapons

and armed formations to Afghanistan and its neighbors. 24

DISORDERED INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS

The Western countries willingness to apply sanctions against the Soviet Union is a

tangible proof of their attempt to destabilize Moscow and to discredit the communist

regime. It was suspected that the divisions within the Western Camp would avoid the

Soviets to face a united front of western sanctions after the invasion, allowing them to

maneuver without great fear of destabilizing their foreign relations. Although the Soviets

expected some US accusation of aggression after the introduction of troops in

19
Minutes of the Meeting of the CPSU CC Plenum on the situation in Afghanistan, 23 June 1980, June
23, 1980, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, RGANI (formerly TsKhSD).
20
Minutes of the Meeting of the CPSU CC Plenum on the situation in Afghanistan, 23 June 1980, June
23, 1980, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, RGANI (formerly TsKhSD).
21
Ibid.
22
Ibid.
23
Ibid.
24
Soviet Foreign Ministry Circular to Soviet Ambassadors on the Situation in Afghanistan, Instructions
for Meeting with Heads of Government, December 27, 1979, History and Public Policy Program Digital
Archive.
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Afghanistan, they thought the rest of the World would be divided. Some momentum in

the US and other countries press tries to hide the divisions of the West.26

Three weeks after the invasion, Soviets are satisfied with the disordered international

response towards the Soviet Union. They interpret the lack of unity in NATO regarding
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measures against them as evidence they had acted in a good way. Moreover, the fact

that many Western countries and members of NATO have not followed the US-led

sanctions is meaningful, because it represents their disagreement over US foreign policies

towards USSR. This split in the international community towards the USSR was seen as

even stronger during the UN General Assembly, when a motion condemning the soviet

aggression was proposed. Although 104 delegations voted for the condemnation of the

events in Afghanistan, many voted without soul and 48 abstained and voted against.28

This indicates how the US influence at the United Nations had declined. In addition,

Canada, Argentina and Brazil do not agree on which sanctions should be applied against
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the Soviet Union. The latter of these three countries has even undertaken a massive

campaign of soya export in order to compensate for the US embargo on grain. 30

25
Excerpt from Politburo Meeting on Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, March 18, 1979, History and
Public Policy Program Digital Archive, p.84.
26
Ibid.
27
CC CPSU Politburo transcript (excerpt), January 17, 1980, History and Public Policy Program Digital
Archive, p.42-44.
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid.
30
Report on the talks of Gyula Horn, representative of the HSWP CC Foreign Department in The
United States and Canada, January 23, 1980, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive,
National Archives of Hungary.
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COUNTER-REACTIONS IN THE SOVIET CAMP

The introduction of Soviet troops may have, on the long-run, negative effects on Soviet

Unions foreign policy. The consequences of facing NATO on one side and China on the

other at the same time may brings significant damage to the Soviet Unions interests, as

opposed to the little gains made by the Afghan policy so far.31 This is especially true

concerning the effect on Third World, because it has crossed the permissible bounds of

confrontation (). 32
In consequence, the USSRs credibility in the non-aligned

movement is greatly affected. Afghanistan will be isolated and will depend only on the

Soviet Union. Moreover, its neighborhood will increasingly be entangled in an arms race

pushed by both US and China. Then, these two states will also undermine the Soviet

Unions credibility in the Third World and in Europe, where Dtente has failed.

SINO- AMERICAN REACTIONS FROM SOVIETS PERSPECTIVE

The United States is concerned by its inability to assess Soviets intentions in this crisis,

in which the Soviet Union appears to be seeking to break peaceful relations between both

countries. The Americans emphasized that they could not accept that the Soviet Union

should use its advantage in the sphere of traditional arms outside the borders of the

Eastern-European alliance, namely in an area that was extremely important in providing

for the US needs for raw materials." Moreover, Soviets interpreted the Afghan crisis as

31
Some Ideas About Foreign Policy Results of the 1970s (Points)' of Academician O. Bogomolov of the
Institute of the Economy of the World Socialist System sent to the CC CPSU and the KGB,
January 20, 1980, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive.
32
Ibid.
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chance way US used in order to justify long-term foreign policy acts which are hostile to

the Soviet Union and directed at changing the balance of power in their favor.

SECTION 4. How do newspapers and documents compare?

Soviet original documents and western newspapers articles diverge on many aspects but

converge on the consequences of the invasion in the process of breaking Dtente and the

news arms race in Europe.

DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE SAME EVENT

While the newspaper articles emphasis the breaking from the East-West confrontation

old rules, the documents show that Soviets interpreted very differently the same events.

The contrast is very clear on the meaning given to Moscows sending of troops in

Afghanistan. In the western newspapers, the terms invasion and attack appear in

almost each article when describing the events. Journalists and analysts make clear that

the purpose of the invasion was to bring Afghanistan under Moscow's firm control in an

imperialist manner. On the other side, the two previous terms are never used to describe

the issue in the original documents: both words ironically appear to refer to US

behaviors against the Soviet Union. Politburo members strikingly insist many times in

accusing Washington to voluntarily heat up tensions. A second slight difference bears

on the international reactions. For western journalists, the Third World had criticized

relatively homogenously the Soviet Union, seeing only little opposition on the issue of

sanctions. The original documents oppositely interpret this opposition as Washingtons

inability to have intimidated all countries in the process of voting sanctions.

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It is also interesting to notice that as soon as two or three weeks after the invasion,

western commentators underline that Afghanistan could be Soviet Unions own Viet

Nam while documents do not even refer to any delay. Both sources agree on the fact

that the Western limited protests against soviet intervention in Africa made the Soviet

Union think to be able to act relatively freely in Afghanistan.

ROAD TO A NEW COLD WAR IN EUROPE

Although both western newspapers and soviet documents agree that Dtente was over,

that a new phase of military confrontations has started in Europe, they try to lay the

blame on the others camp. Surprisingly, the letter written by a Soviet Academician to

KGB and Politburo warns them about a multitude of dangers would face after the

invasion. This letter contrasts astonishingly with the ambient thoughts inside Kremlin

towards the Afghan events.

This papers main findings bear on the very different interpretations the authors had on

the invasion and on the unexpected and undesirable consequences that it had on

Moscows foreign policy, namely the Sino-Rapprochement and the alienation of Third

World. Even in the very first month after it occurrence, Moscows power of influence and

attraction started to decline dramatically.

It would be relevant to investigate how further reactions in the Muslim world have

unfolded for the past 40 years and lead to the Islamic terrorist actions, in both the former

Soviet and Western worlds. Cold War is over, but types of conflicts involving the

Western World have evolved. To understand them, the actions made during the Cold

need to be scrutinized.