If Afghanistan is called the graveyard of empires, then surely the most prominent witness in this graveyard is the gravestone of the Soviet Union, whose army was defeated in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War by the irregular resistance force known as the Afghan Mujahideen. After a fierce war that lasted ten years, the Soviet Union was forced to withdraw from Afghanistan without achieving any of its strategic objectives. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan under the pretext of adhering to the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978. On December 24, 1979, as midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift to Kabul, which included an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of approximately 8,500 men each. Within a few days, the Soviets secured Kabul and deployed a special assault unit against the Tajberg Palace. Soviet forces faced fierce but brief resistance from elements of the Afghan army loyal to President Hafizullah Amin. On December 27, Babrak Karmal, the leader of the exiled Parcham faction of the Marxist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, was appointed the new president. The government in Afghanistan and Soviet ground forces entered Afghanistan from the north, however the Soviet Red Army faced fierce resistance when they ventured out of their strongholds into the countryside. The fighters used guerrilla tactics against the Soviets. They would attack or raid quickly and then disappear into the mountains, causing great destruction without fierce fighting. The fighters used whatever weapons they could obtain from the Soviets or from the United States, as the United States and Saudi Arabia provided billions of dollars in support to the Afghan mujahideen. The tide of war turned with the United States introducing shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles in 1987, which allowed Soviet planes and helicopters to be shot down on a regular basis. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev decided it was time to get out, and Soviet forces in Afghanistan began withdrawing in 1988, frustrated and with no victory in sight. The last Soviet soldier crossed the border on February 15, 1989. The Afghan War was the first Soviet military campaign outside the Eastern Bloc since World War II and marked the end of the period of thawed relations in the Cold War. Prepared and presented by: Ibrahim Al-Jarhi If you like the video Don't forget to subscribe to the channel to watch a new episode every Friday at 10:00 AM Cairo time To subscribe to the channel https://www.youtube.com/c/NestProduct... To join and support the channel / @nestproductions Video lists you will like Russia and Ukraine • The Russian-Ukrainian War All the Fuhrer's Men • All the Fuhrer's Men World War II • World War II World War I • World War I Cold War • Cold War Egyptian-Israeli War • Egyptian-Israeli War Historical Figures • Historical Figures Short Story • Short Story Background music in most episodes from this site https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra... Connect with us on Facebook / nestproductions