Russians+In+Afghanistan


 * RUSSIANS IN AFGHANISTAN **

Before

-Russians wanted strategic location in the Middle East for trade, oil, and to prevent United States involvement in the area.[4] -Weak Leadership under the previous King, Zahir Shah. [1] -King left country for surgery and a coup occurs during 1973 under the leadership of Mohammad Dauod, the king's cousin[1] "The king, Zahir Shah, was away in Italy. In his absence, his cousin Dauod Khan had ended the king's forty-year reign with a bloodless coup."(pg.36) [3]

-April 1978- The April(Saur) Revolution, a communist coup lead by Mohammad Taraki occurs, killing Dauod and his family and replacing the current government with a new Marxist one.[1] -October 1979- Taraki is executed and new leader, Hafizullah Amin, take over[1]

Invasion -Fearing Amin's ruthless leadership the Red Army attacks.[1] -First Russian troops official sent in on December 25th, 1979. This would be the beginning of a decade long rule under the Soviets.[4] -Babrak Karmel an Afghan ambassador becomes the leader of government, as a puppet leadership under Moscow's control.[4]

War & Occupation -Millions die during ten year struggle between Afghanis and Russian Forces allied with pro-Soviet Afghans.[5] "The rafiqs, the comrades, were everywhere and they'd split Kabul into two groups: those who eavesdropped and those who didn't."(pg. 112)  [3]

-Many Afghans flee to neighboring Pakistan, a country allied with the United States.[2] "It was a pretty lucratic business then, driving people out of //Shorawi//-occupied Kabul to the relative safety of Pakistan."(pg.111) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 140%;"> [3]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-Groups of guerilla fighters known as Mujahideen trained by the united states and Pakistan resist against the soviet army[1] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-United States donates weapons to the resistance to help combat Russia[4] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">- Do too continues fighting between the Mujahideen and Soviet army Barbak is replaced as prime minister by the Soviets for ineffectiveness by the former s chief of the Afghan Secret Police, Mohammad Najibullah.[4] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-Najibullah is unable to control the fighting, and with the signing of the Geneva Accords by the US and Russia in April 1988 the war is effectively over.[1] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-The soviets begin withdrawal from Afghanistan in May 1988, and are gone completely by 1989[1]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 180%;">Aftermath "The Hindi kid would soon learn what the British learned earlier in the century, <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 140%;"> and what the Russian would eventually learn by the late 1980's: that Afghans are an independent people."(pg. 51-52)[3] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-Despite withdrawal of Soviet forces a civil war continued between the Mujahideen and the pro-Soviet Government.[1] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-In 1992 Najibullah is removed from government and the Taliban based government is installed.[4] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-Many unexploded land mines and bombs remain spread throughout Afghanistan, creating dangerous areas throughout the country.[5] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-Due to the destruction of wells and other water storage devices only TWELVE PERCENT of the population has access to clean drinking water.[2]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">FUN FACT <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">-The United States boycotts Summer Olympics held in Moscow 1980 in response to Russian Invasion[1]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">Discussion Questions How do you think Amir will deal with the uprooting of his society by the Russians/ why is that part skipped over in the book?

It is clear from Amir’s few interactions with Russians that there is stress between the two opposing cultures, what could be some aftereffects of this?

Do you think life could recover for Amir/Afghans after the Russians are gone?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">References

//1. Afghanistan's Turbulent History//. (2008, November 21). In BBC News. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1569826.stm

2. Clifford, M. L. (1989). //The Land And People Of Afghanistan.// New York: Harper & Row.

3. Hosseini, K. (2003). //The Kite Runner.// New York: Riverhead Books.

4. Shaban, S. (2006, October 10). //The Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan//. in PBS Newshour. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/afghanistan/soviet.html

5. Shroder, J. F., & Gritzner, J. A. (2011). //Afghanistan.// New York: Chelsea House.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 150%;">Images <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">(n.d.)[Taliban Helicopter]. Retrieved from http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6177/6191251399_5b99301fe4_z.jpg

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">(n.d.)[Russian Tanks]. Retrieved from http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45475000/jpg/_45475285_soviet1989466.jpg