Flashpoints Flashcards
What was Afghanisatn viewed as by the Soviet Union?
As an important neighbour
What happened in Iran in 1979?
Revolution in Iran deposed the Shah (king/emperor)
Who was the Shah replaced by?
A muslim fundamentalist government
After Iran became a muslim fundamentalist government, what did Afghanistan now form?
An important buffer zone between Iran and the Soviet Union
Why was Moscow determined to not let Muslim fundamentalism spread across its borders?
Soviet Union had many Muslim citizens
What government would there have to be in Afghanistan to protect Soviet interests?
Pro-soviet government
What happened in April 1978?
A pro-Soviet government took control in Afghanistan and received economic assistance from Moscow
When was the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan toppled and how?
September 1979 as Hafizullah Amin staged a popular coup
How did Moscow feel about Amin?
Initially supported him but his government became increasingly unpopular as other pro-Muslim factions tried to overthrow him
When did Brezhnev decide to act on Amin’s government?
When Brezhnev heard rumours that Amin was talking to the USA about possible American support
When did Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan?
24th December 1979
What did the Soviet forces claim when they invaded Afghanistan?
That they had been invited in by Amin to support his government against terrorists
When was Amin assassinated and who replaced him?
27th December 1979 (almost certainly by Soviet commandos) and replaced by pro-soviet Babrak Kamal
How long did Soviets stay in Afghanistan after the invasion?
Almost ten years, fighting opponents of Kamal
Who were the mujahideen?
The muslim guerilla fighters who fought against the government of Amin and then the government of Kamal and the the Soviet invasion force
How long did the mujahideen’s war against the Soviet Union last?
Until the Soviets withdrew in 1989
How did the USA help the mujahideen during the war?
USA supplied them with weapons and billions of dollars
What was the cost of the war against the mujahideen for the Soviet Union?
$8 billion a year and estimates 15,000 Soviet troops killed. Some estimates suggest 1.5 million civilian deaths
Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan?
To protect Soviet interests in a neighbouring state
What did the Soviet Union see the situation in Afghanistan as similar to?
That in Czechoslovakia
What did the Americans believe about the invasion of Afghanistan?
It was an example of the Soviet Union attempting to spread communism abroad, which they had worked to resist
What did President Carter claim about the invasion of Afghanistan?
It posed the biggest threat to world peace since WW2
How did Carter respond to the invasion?
Withdrew SALT 2 proposal from the Senate and increased spending on arms
What was the Carter Doctrine?
In Jan 1980, in Carter’s state of the union speech to the American people, he said the USA would repel by force, if necessary, any threat to American interests in the Persian Gulf
What was the Carter Doctrine deliberately modelled on?
The Truman Doctrine, to show its importance
What else did Carter impose?
Economic sanctions on the USSR and began sending weapons and funds to the mujahideen
What did the invasion of Afghanistan mark the end of?
Détente
Why do some historians argue the Americans deliberately over-reacted to the Soviet invasion?
To ‘get out’ of détente
What did Ronald Reagan (republican candidate) do in the 1980 presidential election?
Ridiculed Carter as weak and argued that the time had come for America to reclaim its position on the world stage and stand up to communism. He won by far
What did the invasion of Afghanistan make certain?
Confrontation as it brought about the election of Reagan who believed communism was ‘evil’ and should be actively opposed
What are 12 consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
. Second cold war
. End of détente
. Soviet boycott of LA
. US boycott of Moscow
. Carter Doctrine
. Afghan government replaced
. Economic Afghanistan on USSR
. War in Afghsniatan lasts 10 years
. SALT 2 abandoned
. USA support mujahideen
. War costs USSR $8 billion a year
. 1.5 million civilian deaths
What did the USA do in protest against the invasion of Afghanistan?
Led a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
How many nations supported the US boycott?
Over 60
Why was the Moscow boycott highly significant?
Olympic games are a global event, which the Soviet Union was hoping to use to promote communism to the huge TV audience who would watch the olympics
What did the Moscow boycott reflect?
The influence the USA had in international affairs
How did different countries take part in the boycott of Moscow?
It was not easy to tell athletes not to go
Britain: didn’t prevent athletes from going but encouraged them not to take part
Other countries: allowed athletes to take part individually rather than officially representing the country
America: athletes who tried to travel to Moscow would have passports taken away
How was the boycott of Moscow games so effective?
With many of the best athletes staying away, the events at Moscow looked second-rate
How did the Moscow boycott make the USSR feel?
Extremely angry as it was their chance to showcase communism to the world
They had been undermined by the USA
relations with USA deteriorated further
How was the boycott of the Moscow Olympics a significant moment in the ‘Second Cold War’?
Relations were so bad that even four years latee, for the LA olympics in 1984, USSR led a boycott of the games
How many communist countries took part in the LA boycott?
15
