The Soviet invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan in December 1979 sparked a bloody nine-year conflict with the Mujahideen until Soviet forces withdrew in 1988-89; dooming the communist Afghanistan government to defeat by Afghan popular resistance backed by the USA and other powers. The Soviet invasion had enormous implications on the global stage; it prompted the US Senate to refuse to ratify the hard-won SALT II arms-limitation treaty; and the USA and 64 other countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. For Afghanistan; the invasion served to prolong the interminable civil war that pitted central government against the regions and faction against faction. The country remains locked in conflict over 30 years later; with no end in sight.For over a year before the invasion the communist Afghan government; installed following a coup and intent on forcibly modernizing the country's civil law in the face of centuries of feudal practices; had called for Soviet armed assistance in its efforts to overcome the open rebellion of the Mujahideen. Fearing the international consequences should the Afghan government be toppled; the Soviets decided to invade. From the outset; though; they failed to understand that communist principles were incompatible with traditional tribal relationships - especially in a country notorious for its poor communications and resistance to centralization.The Soviets found that their forces; largely made up of conscripts untrained in mountain warfare and counter-insurgency - and deploying 'conventional' weapons such as tanks and helicopters - could not defeat guerrillas enjoying the support of both the local population and powerful foreign allies such as the USA; and operating in harsh mountainous and/or desert terrain that favoured the defenders. The Soviets decided to stage a phased withdrawal of their own forces and concentrated on building up the Afghan government forces; but the Mujahideen soon prevailed; ushering in a new era dominated by the Taliban; an Islamist militia group that controlled large parts of the country from the mid-1990s.Featuring specially drawn mapping and drawing upon a wide range of sources; this succinct account explains the origins; history and consequences of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan; thereby shedding new light on the more recent history - and prospects - of that troubled country.
#1324599 in Books 2012-10-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x .60 x 6.10l; .95 #File Name: 1848848927192 pages
Review
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Explaining the northern shoulder of the BulgeBy N. TrachtaBattle East of Elsenborn is nicely crafted book that tells the tale of the 2nd and 99th ID's fight against the Germans during the Ardennes offensive in December 1944. Mr. Cavanagh opens by describing the 99th ID prior to the German offensive. Focus is on their regimental position in covering for the 2nd ID's offensive to capture the Roer Dams. This short section is then followed by a day-to-day; sometimes a segment of a battle field during a day description of the fight. While Mr. Cavanagh used the veterans descriptions of the battlefield; he does a great job of not relying on one veterans description to much and describing the overall situation with his own words very nicely. The conclusion; rather than being large is rather short. Rather than continueing the battle thru January '45; Mr. Cavanagh leaves us with the Germans being stopped and the true grit of the men in the 2nd and 99th ID (the 1st ID is mentioned in the last part of the book) and the way the locals Belgium people have remembered them.As I've said; this is a very solid book. Review wise; a solid 5 star book. Mr. Cavanagh's text is to the point but descriptive; the photo's are out of this world; I hadn't seen many of them prior to this book; there's some great photo's of the different battlefields with text to describe the situation; and a few maps. As a matter of fact; the weakest part of the book is the maps; however the photo's more than make up for them! I look forward to reading more of Mr. Cavanagh's books!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A key Battle in the ArdennesBy Kindle CustomerOne the most important battles of the Ardennes campaign finally gets it's due. I was lucky enough to get to visit the towns of Rocherath-Krinkelt 4 years ago; and driving around I had a hard time piecing together the battle; but it all came to after reading Will's well researched account of the battle. The stories of the individual soldiers were well placed and not lost in too much technical mumbo jumbo; plus you really get a feel for what the enlisted men went through; fighting not only man but the weather as well. A must read for any one with an interest in the Battle of the Bulge.It's just a good; well written account of an important yet little known battle from WWII in Europe.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A great book; but a reprintBy Guy DeyoungThis book is really a great read; and fills in an important gap in the written histories of the Battle of the Bulge. That said; I must point out that this is a reprint of a book published in 1986 that I already owned entitled "Krinkelt-Rocherath; The Battle for the Twin Villages". This does not detract from the high quality of the book; but I already had it under a different title. It would have been helpful to know that this was in fact a reprint and not a new book.
