Interesting facts, amazing facts, unknown facts in the museum of facts. Seven main facts about the Afghan war

In 1979 Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. For 10 years, the USSR was drawn into a conflict that finally undermined its former power. “Echo of Afghanistan” can still be heard.

1. Contingent

There was no Afghan war. There was a deployment of a limited contingent of Soviet troops to Afghanistan. It is fundamentally important that Soviet troops entered Afghanistan at the invitation. There were about two dozen invitations. The decision to send troops was not easy, but it was nevertheless made by members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee on December 12, 1979. In fact, the USSR was drawn into this conflict. A short search for “who benefits from this” clearly points, first of all, to the United States. Today they are not even trying to hide the Anglo-Saxon trace of the Afghan conflict. According to the memoirs of former CIA Director Robert Gates, on July 3, 1979, American President Jimmy Carter signed a secret presidential order authorizing funding for anti-government forces in Afghanistan, and Zbigniew Brzezinski directly said: “We did not push the Russians to interfere, but we deliberately increased the likelihood that they would will do."

2. Afghan axis

Afghanistan is geopolitically a pivot point. It is not in vain that wars have been waged over Afghanistan throughout its history. Both open and diplomatic. Since the 19th century between Russian and British Empire There is a struggle for control over Afghanistan, called " Big game" The Afghan conflict of 1979-1989 is part of this “game”. Mutinies and uprisings in the “underbelly” of the USSR could not go unnoticed. It was impossible to lose the Afghan axis. In addition, Leonid Brezhnev really wanted to act as a peacemaker. He spoke.

3. Oh sport, you are the world

The Afghan conflict “quite by accident” caused a serious wave of protest in the world, which was fueled in every possible way by “friendly” media. Voice of America radio broadcasts began daily with military reports. By all means, people were not allowed to forget that the Soviet Union was waging a “war of conquest” on territory that was foreign to itself. The 1980 Olympics were boycotted by many countries (including the USA). The Anglo-Saxon propaganda machine worked at full capacity, creating the image of an aggressor from the USSR. The Afghan conflict greatly helped with the change of poles: by the end of the 70s, the popularity of the USSR in the world was enormous. The US boycott did not go unanswered. Our athletes did not go to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

4. The whole world

The Afghan conflict was Afghan in name only. In essence, the favorite Anglo-Saxon combination was carried out: the enemies were forced to fight each other. The US authorized “economic assistance” to the Afghan opposition in the amount of $15 million, as well as military assistance - supplying them with heavy weapons and training military training groups of Afghan Mujahideen. The United States did not even hide its interest in the conflict. In 1988, the third part of the Rambo epic was filmed. Sylvester Stallone's hero this time fought in Afghanistan. The absurdly tailored, openly propaganda film even received a Golden Raspberry Award and was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the film with the maximum amount of violence: the film contains 221 scenes of violence and a total of more than 108 people die. At the end of the film there are credits “The film is dedicated to the valiant people of Afghanistan.”

5. Oil

The role of the Afghan conflict is difficult to overestimate. Every year the USSR spent about 2-3 billion US dollars on it. The Soviet Union could afford this at the peak of oil prices, which was observed in 1979-1980. However, between November 1980 and June 1986, oil prices fell almost 6 times! Of course, it was not by chance that they fell. A special “thank you” to Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign. There was no longer a “financial cushion” in the form of income from the sale of vodka on the domestic market. The USSR, by inertia, continued to spend money on creating a positive image, but funds were running out within the country. The USSR found itself in economic collapse.

6. Dissonance

During the Afghan conflict, the country was in a kind of cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, everyone knew about “Afghanistan,” on the other, the USSR painfully tried to “live better and more fun.” Olympics-80, XII World Festival of Youth and Students - The Soviet Union celebrated and rejoiced. Meanwhile, KGB General Philip Bobkov subsequently testified: “Long before the opening of the festival, Afghan militants were specially selected in Pakistan, who underwent serious training under the guidance of CIA specialists and were brought into the country a year before the festival. They settled in the city, especially since they were provided with money, and began to expect to receive explosives, plastic bombs and weapons, preparing to carry out explosions in places mass gathering people (Luzhniki, Manezhnaya Square and other places). The protests were disrupted thanks to the operational measures taken.”

7. Afghan syndrome

As the hero of the movie "Rambo" said: "The war is not over." We all know about the “Afghan syndrome”, about thousands of broken destinies, about veterans who returned from the war, useless and forgotten. The Afghan conflict gave rise to a whole layer of culture of the “forgotten and devoted soldier.” This image was atypical for the Russian tradition. The Afghan conflict undermined the morale of the Russian army. It was then that “white ticketers” began to appear, the war inspired horror, terrible legends circulated about it, soldiers who had done wrong were sent there, hazing flourished there and became a scourge modern army. It was at that time that the military profession ceased to be attractive, although previously every second person dreamed of being an officer. "Echo of Afghanistan" can still be heard.

In 1979, Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. For 10 years, the USSR was drawn into a conflict that finally undermined its former power. “Echo of Afghanistan” can still be heard.

Contingent

Afghan axis

Afghanistan is geopolitically a pivot point. It is not in vain that wars have been waged over Afghanistan throughout its history. Both open and diplomatic. Since the 19th century, there has been a struggle between the Russian and British empires for control of Afghanistan, called the “Great Game.” The Afghan conflict of 1979-1989 is part of this “game”. Mutinies and uprisings in the “underbelly” of the USSR could not go unnoticed. It was impossible to lose the Afghan axis. In addition, Leonid Brezhnev really wanted to act as a peacemaker. He spoke.

Oh sport, you are the world

The whole world

The Afghan conflict was Afghan in name only. In essence, the favorite Anglo-Saxon combination was carried out: the enemies were forced to fight each other. The United States authorized “economic assistance” to the Afghan opposition in the amount of $15 million, as well as military assistance - supplying them with heavy weapons and providing military training to groups of Afghan mujahideen. The United States did not even hide its interest in the conflict. In 1988, the third part of the Rambo epic was filmed. Sylvester Stallone's hero this time fought in Afghanistan. The absurdly tailored, openly propaganda film even received a Golden Raspberry Award and was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the film with the maximum amount of violence: the film contains 221 scenes of violence and a total of more than 108 people die. At the end of the film there are credits “The film is dedicated to the valiant people of Afghanistan.”

Dissonance

During the Afghan conflict, the country was in a kind of cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, everyone knew about “Afghanistan,” on the other, the USSR painfully tried to “live better and more fun.” Olympics-80, XII World Festival of Youth and Students - The Soviet Union celebrated and rejoiced. Meanwhile, KGB General Philip Bobkov subsequently testified: “Long before the opening of the festival, Afghan militants were specially selected in Pakistan, who underwent serious training under the guidance of CIA specialists and were brought into the country a year before the festival. They settled in the city, especially since they were provided with money, and began to wait to receive explosives, plastic bombs and weapons, preparing to carry out explosions in crowded places (Luzhniki, Manezhnaya Square and other places). The protests were disrupted thanks to the operational measures taken.”

The decision to send Soviet troops into Afghanistan was made on December 12, 1979 at a meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee and formalized by a secret resolution of the CPSU Central Committee.

The official purpose of the entry was to prevent the threat of foreign military intervention. The Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee used repeated requests from the Afghan leadership as a formal basis.

Government armed forces took part in this conflict Democratic Republic Afghanistan (DRA) on the one hand and the armed opposition (Mujahideen, or dushmans) on the other. The struggle was for complete political control over the territory of Afghanistan. During the conflict, the Dushmans were supported by US military specialists, a number of European countries- NATO members, as well as Pakistani intelligence services.

On December 25, 1979, the entry of Soviet troops into the DRA began. The Soviet contingent included: the command of the 40th Army with support and service units, 4 divisions, separate brigades- 5, separate regiments - 4, combat aviation regiments - 4, helicopter regiments - 3, pipeline brigade - 1, material support brigade 1 and some other units and institutions.

The presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and their combat activity conditionally divided into four stages.

1st stage: December 1979 - February 1980 Entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, placing them in garrisons, organizing the protection of deployment points and various facilities.

2nd stage: March 1980 - April 1985 Conducting active combat operations, including large-scale ones, together with Afghan formations and units. Work to reorganize and strengthen the armed forces of the DRA.

3rd stage: May 1985 - December 1986 The transition from active combat operations primarily to supporting the actions of Afghan troops with Soviet aviation, artillery and sapper units. Special forces units fought to suppress the delivery of weapons and ammunition from abroad. The withdrawal of six Soviet regiments to their homeland took place.

4th stage: January 1987 - February 1989 Participation of Soviet troops in the Afghan leadership's policy of national reconciliation.

On April 14, 1988, with the mediation of the UN in Switzerland, the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the Geneva Agreements on a political settlement of the situation in the DRA. The Soviet Union pledged to withdraw its contingent within 9 months, starting on May 15; The United States and Pakistan, for their part, had to stop supporting the Mujahideen.

In accordance with the agreements, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan began on May 15, 1988.

On February 15, 1989, Soviet troops completely withdrew from Afghanistan. The withdrawal of the troops of the 40th Army was led by the last commander of the limited contingent, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov.

Losses:

According to updated data, in total in the war the Soviet Army lost 14 thousand 427 people (of which about 2000 were Ukrainians), the KGB - 576 people, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 28 people dead and missing. More than 53 thousand people were wounded, shell-shocked, injured. The exact number of Afghans killed in the war is unknown. Available estimates range from 1 to 2 million people.

For comparison:

Over a roughly similar time period, the US Army lost 47,378 people during combat operations in Vietnam, 10,799 non-combat personnel, 153,303 wounded, 2,300 missing. Approximately 5 thousand US Air Force aircraft were shot down.

The total losses of American troops during their entire stay in Iraq and Afghanistan over the 8 years of confrontation have already amounted to 18,048 military personnel. At the same time, the statistics of American losses is growing every year.

Interesting fact:

Unlike the Soviet contingent, the Americans do not control the entire territory of Afghanistan (including particularly important transport routes and strategic facilities). In addition, after the occupation of Afghanistan by NATO forces, drug production increased significantly. Some researchers argue that Americans deliberately turn a blind eye to rapid growth heroin production, which may be caused by fears that if an active fight against drug trafficking is launched, the losses of American troops will increase sharply. Until 2001, Afghan drug trafficking was repeatedly the subject of discussion in the UN Security Council, but after the discussion they stopped holding it. Afghan-made heroin kills twice as many in Russia and Ukraine every year more people what died Soviet soldiers throughout the ten-year war in Afghanistan.

After the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, various mujahideen factions continued to fight each other for power in the country. Representatives of the Taliban movement (“seekers of knowledge”), consisting of students, won – in 1996 they established an authoritarian regime of government in Afghanistan, the main instrument of which was Sharia law. Television was banned in the country, and the death penalty was imposed for drinking alcohol.

While in the USSR the Mujahideen were considered cruel and treacherous killers, in Western countries admired their courage: in the eyes of Americans and Europeans they appeared as fearless heroes, rushing on horseback to meet Soviet tanks. After the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, the Americans presented the Mujahideen, according to various estimates, from 500 to 2,000 portable anti-aircraft missile systems"Stinger". It is fundamentally important that Soviet troops entered Afghanistan at the invitation. There were about two dozen invitations. And after the Soviet troops left there, the American government began buying back the missiles for $183,000 apiece. At the same time, the usual cost of a stinger is $38,000.

Non, a flat unleavened flatbread, translated as “bread,” is the staple food in Afghanistan.

In ancient times, the famous caravan road, the Great Silk Road, ran through Kabul. Representatives of a wide variety of religions and cultures passed through Kabul, many of whom remained here.

The national game of Afghanistan is called Buzkashi, which means “to grab the goat by the tail.” This is a game in which two teams on horseback catch a goat using different strategies. Afghans have been playing this game for centuries.

Losses Soviet Union there were much fewer losses in the Afghan war USA during vietnam war. In terms of the ratio of losses in killed during the same period of war, the USSR and the USA differed in killed and wounded by 4 and 3 times big side respectively.

When Taliban troops captured ex-President Najibullah in Kabul in 1997, they, without hesitation, hanged him from a nearby lamppost.

In Afghanistan, there is a tradition of raising girls like boys - such children are called “bacha posh”. Families in which only girls are born resort to this method, which, according to local customs, is considered almost a disgrace for the family. Bacha posh give male name, dressed in boyish clothes and cut short, she has more possibilities appearing in public, going to school and playing sports. However, upon the onset of puberty, the bacha posh has to return to the life of a girl again, losing all male rights, and then get married. They often become bad spouses because they have not learned properly. cooking, sewing and other work considered feminine.

Afghanistan is one of the most ancient countries in the world.

On the border with the Pakistani city of Peshawar, during the civil war, the arms trade flourished.

Afghanistan is one of the largest centers growing opium poppy in the world. Afghanistan is the main supplier of raw opium, used in the production of heroin, to Russia and many European countries.

There are more than one million people in Afghanistan who are disabled and have suffered from nearly 40 years of war.

Afghan drug traffickers use pigeons to smuggle illegal substances across the border.

After the terrorist attacks in New York in 2001, at the initiative of the United States, a military operation in Afghanistan, as a result of which the Taliban regime was overthrown.

During Taliban rule, women in Kabul were prohibited from practicing professional activity. Women did not have the opportunity to get an education, work outside the home, or move to another city. The main occupation of women was caring for children.

The Taliban government was the only government in the world that officially recognized the existence of the independent Republic of Ichkeria on the territory of Chechnya. In 2000, an embassy of Ichkeria was even opened in Kabul.

In December 1979, Soviet troops entered Afghanistan in order to support a friendly regime, and intended to leave within a year at most. But the good intentions of the Soviet Union turned into a long war.

Today, some are trying to present this war as an atrocity or the result of a conspiracy. Let's look at those events as a tragedy and try to dispel the myths that appear today.

Fact: the introduction of OKSAV is a forced measure to protect geopolitical interests

On December 12, 1979, at a meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, a decision was made and formalized in a secret resolution to send troops to Afghanistan. These measures were not resorted to at all in order to seize the territory of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union's interest was primarily in protecting its own borders, and secondly in countering US attempts to gain a foothold in the region. The formal basis for the deployment of troops was repeated requests from the Afghan leadership.

The participants in the conflict, on the one hand, were the armed forces of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, and on the other, the armed opposition (Mujahideen, or dushmans). The dushmans received support from NATO members and Pakistani intelligence services. The struggle was for complete political control over Afghan territory.

According to statistics, Soviet troops were in Afghanistan for 9 years and 64 days. The maximum number of Soviet troops in 1985 reached 108.8 thousand, after which it steadily decreased. The withdrawal of troops began 8 years and 5 months after the start of presence in the country, and by August 1988 the number of Soviet troops in Afghanistan was only 40 thousand. To date, the United States of America and its allies have been in this country for more than 11 years.

Myth: Western aid to the mujahideen began only after the Soviet invasion

Western propaganda portrayed the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan as an aggression to seize new territories. However, the West began to support mujahideen leaders even before 1979. Robert Gates, who was then a CIA officer and served as Secretary of Defense under President Obama, describes the events of March 1979 in his memoirs. Then, according to him, the CIA discussed the question of whether it was worth supporting the Mujahideen further in order to “drag the USSR into the swamp,” and a decision was made to supply the Mujahideen with money and weapons.

Total, according to updated data, losses Soviet army in the Afghan war there were 14.427 thousand people killed and missing. More than 53 thousand people were shell-shocked, wounded or injured. For the courage and heroism shown in Afghanistan, more than 200 thousand military personnel were awarded orders and medals (11 thousand were awarded posthumously), 86 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (28 posthumously).

In approximately the same period of time, american army Vietnam lost 47,378 people in combat and another 10,779 died. More than 152 thousand were wounded, 2.3 thousand were missing.

Myth: The USSR withdrew troops from Afghanistan because the CIA provided the Mujahideen with Stinger missiles

Pro-Western media claimed that Charlie Wilson turned the tide of the war by convincing Ronald Reagan of the need to supply the Mujahideen with man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems designed to combat helicopters. This myth was voiced in the book “Charlie Wilson's War” by George Crile and in the film of the same name, where Tom Hanks played the role of the loud-mouthed congressman.

In fact, the Stringers only forced the Soviet troops to change tactics. The Mujahideen did not have night vision devices, and helicopters operated at night. The pilots carried out strikes from a higher altitude, which, of course, reduced their accuracy, but the level of losses of the Afghan and Soviet aviation, in comparison with the statistics of the first six years of the war, practically did not change.

The decision to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan was made by the USSR government in October 1985 - even as the Mujahideen began to receive Stringers in significant quantities, which only happened in the fall of 1986. An analysis of declassified minutes of Politburo meetings shows that any innovations in the weapons of the Afghan Mujahideen, including the “Stringers”, were never mentioned as a reason for the withdrawal of troops.

Fact: During the American presence in Afghanistan, drug production has increased significantly

Unlike the once-introduced Soviet contingent, the American military does not control the entire territory of Afghanistan. It is also undeniable that after Afghanistan was occupied by NATO troops, drug production in this country increased significantly. There is an opinion that Americans turn a blind eye to the rapid growth of heroin production quite consciously, understanding that an active fight against the drug business will sharply increase the losses of American troops.

If before 2001, drug trafficking in Afghanistan was repeatedly the subject of discussion in the UN Security Council, then later this issue was no longer brought up for discussion. It is also a fact that heroin produced in Afghanistan kills twice as many people every year in Russia and Ukraine than during the 10 years of war in Afghanistan.

After the withdrawal of the USSR military contingent from the territory of Afghanistan, the United States continued to maintain close ties with the Mujahideen. Washington blocked all proposals from President Mohammed Najibullah for negotiations and concessions. The Americans continued to arm jihadists and guerrillas, hoping that they would overthrow Najibullah's pro-Moscow regime.

This time became the most destructive period for Afghanistan in the country’s recent history: Pakistan and the West deprived the country of unique opportunity finish civil war. Charles Cogan, who served as the CIA's director of operations in South Asia and the Middle East from 1979 to 1984, later admitted: “I doubt whether our inertia should have helped the mujahideen after the Soviets left. Looking back, I think it was a mistake."

Fact: Americans were forced to buy back weapons given to them from Afghans

When Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, the United States, according to various estimates, donated to the Mujahideen from 500 to 2 thousand Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the country, the American government began to buy back the donated missiles for $183 thousand apiece, while the cost of the Stinger was $38 thousand.

Myth: The mujahideen overthrew the Kabul regime and won a major victory over Moscow

The main factor that undermined Najibullah's position was Moscow's statement in September 1991, made shortly after the collapse of the coup against Gorbachev. Yeltsin, who came to power, decided to reduce international obligations countries. Russia announced that it was stopping the supply of weapons to Kabul, as well as the supply of food and any other aid.

This decision was catastrophic for the morale of Najibullah's supporters, whose regime lasted only 2 years after Soviet troops left Afghanistan. Many military leaders and political allies of Najibullah went over to the side of the Mujahideen. As a result, Najibullah's army was not defeated. She just melted. It turned out that Moscow overthrew the government, for which it was paid with the lives of Soviet people.

Fact: The USSR made a fatal mistake - it failed to leave Afghanistan on time

“Afghan unfinished construction” had a very negative impact on the USSR. There is an opinion that it was precisely the unsuccessful Soviet military intervention became one of the main reasons for the disappearance of the Soviet Union from political map peace. If the introduction of troops in 1979 strengthened “anti-Russian sentiments” both in the West, and in the countries of the socialist camp, and in the Islamic world, then the forced withdrawal of troops and the change of political allies and partners in Kabul became one of the most fatal errors, calling into question everything positive that the USSR did not only during the ten-year stay of OKSVA, but also for many years before that.

Myth: The US is rebuilding Afghanistan's economy today

According to statistics, the United States has invested $96.6 billion in the Afghan economy over 12 years. However, no one can say how much was used for its intended purpose. It is known that American businessmen who are engaged in the restoration of the Afghan economy, which was resolved by the war, have come up with a multi-stage corruption scheme for appropriating funds from the US budget through Afghanistan. According to the Stringer Bureau of International Investigation, multibillion-dollar sums are disappearing in an unknown direction.

During the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, the USSR built two gas pipelines, several hydroelectric power stations and thermal power plants, power lines, 2 airports, more than a dozen oil depots, industrial enterprises, bakeries, a Mother and Child Center, clinics, a Polytechnic Institute, a vocational school, schools - in total more than 200 different industrial facilities and social infrastructure.