The Brezhnev Era, 1972–1985: The Second Cold War - Afghanistan

Question 1

What ideology did Afghanistan align with under Shah Zahir

Answer 1

Neither, non-alignment

Question 2

Who led Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973

Answer 2

Shah Mohammed Zahir
Was fairly modern democratic state, with free elections

Question 3

Who overthrew Shah Zahir and when
What did he turn Afghanistan into

Answer 3

Mohammed Douad Khan
1973
turned Afghanistan into a one party republican state, with Soviet backing

Question 4

Why was Khan assassinated

Answer 4

Assassinated in the 1978 Saur Revolution by the Soviet-backed People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan
As he sought to decrease USSR’s economic assistance to get more independence, didn’t implement many promised socialist reforms and USSR worried he would align with West

Question 5

When was the Saur Revolution

Answer 5

April 1978

Question 6

Who led the Saur Revolution

Answer 6

Hafizullah Amin, established a communist economy through terror, arrests

Question 7

What was agreed between USSR and Afghanistan in Dec 1978

Answer 7

Agreement which allowed Afghanistan to request military assistance

Question 8

What prompted the Soviet Invasion

Answer 8

Insurgency against the Afghanistan brutal regime
Prompted USSR to invade to support failing communist gov
USSR said they were invited by Amin, not invading

Question 9

When was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 9

1979

Question 10

Who was the new leader the Soviet’s installed upon their 1979 Afghanistan invasion

Answer 10

Babrak Karmal

Question 11

What was the Mujahedeen

Answer 11

Afghanistan Muslim insurgency group acting against Amin’s government

Question 12

Why did the Basic Principles encourage Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan

Answer 12

Soviets viewed as consistent w/ Basic Principles
Soviets saw as an attempt to preserve the status quo, and viewed the Basic Principles as an acceptance that each super power’s vital interests had to be guarded

Question 13

What was Operation 333

Answer 13

Dec 1979
Soviet unit takes Amin by surprise
Places Karmal in power
Starts Mujahdeen vs Soviet war

Question 14

US response to Soviet invasion

Answer 14

Carter considers it a breach of international protocol
Jan 1980, Carter formally asks Congress to postpone any consideration indefinitely for SALT II
Puts grain embargo on Soviets
(middle east is more important to US now as Khomeini has taken over in Iran)
Carter doctrine
Carter asked NATO to suspend detente, but they reject as it is working in Europe

Question 15

What did Carter’s response show

Answer 15

He was willing to stop detente to prevent expansion

Question 16

When was the Carter Doctrine

Answer 16

Jan 1980

Question 17

What was the Carter Doctrine

Answer 17

emphasised US commitment for prevent further Soviet advance into the Persian golf/ SW Asia, w/ military use

Question 18

How did the Soviet’s view Carter’s response

Answer 18

Considered the Carter Doctrine an overaction
Thought it was an excuse to end detente as the Persian Gulf was of no strategic value to the US

Question 19

What was Operation Cyclone

Answer 19

The US program to fund the Mujahedeen to pressure the USSR

Question 20

How much did Operation Cyclone provide in 1979 and 1987

Answer 20

1979 $500,000
1987 $630 million
+stinger missiles

Question 21

Why did the Soviet’s pull out

Answer 21

Too expensive
Realised they could not win
14000 Soviet troops killed

Question 22

What was the Afghanistan war nicknamed

Answer 22

the Soviet’s Vietnam
Due to inability to win, just costing resources

Question 23

When were Soviet troops out by

Answer 23

Feb 1989

Question 24

How did Soviet US relations shift

Answer 24

Went from diplomatic like under Nixon to back to containment