The primary subject of the study is the soviet 40th army, which invaded afghanistan to prevent the fall of a friendly government in kabul, then stayed on to battle a relentless. Americas first conventional battle in afghanistan were published in. The afghan war operation enduring freedom 20012014 anthony tuckerjones drugs, war and terrorism were the unholy trinity that brought the usled air campaign crashing down on the taliban regime in afghanistan in october 2001 in operation enduring freedom, and this photographic history is a graphic introduction to it. Gress the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet.
Grau, lieutenant colonel lester w, gress, michael a. Performing organization names and addresses united states marine corps,command and staff college, marine corps. By the russian general staff, translated and edited by lester w. Grau, a vietnam war veteran and retired lieutenant colonel in the u. How a superpower fought and lost 2002, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. During the third phase of the war, the brunt of the fighting was transferred to the afghan forces. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force. Offers a candid view of a war that played a significant role in the ultimate demise of the soviet union. World in the 20th century december 2012 while political dynamics played a large role in the collapse of the soviet union, economic breakdown was the main cause of its deterioration.
The soviet afghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. The sovietafghan war helps clarify how such a surprising demise could have materialized in the backyard of the cold wars other great superpower. You get what you pay for, this is the literary equivalent of the cold, soulkilling, concrete block architecture employed by the soviets through eastern europe and afghanistan. Why did the soviet union lose the war in afghanistan. In the soviet afghan war the russian general staff takes a close critical look at the soviet militarys disappointing performance in that war in an. The sovietafghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience. Built on the socialist ideology of state owned and run business, the declining soviet economy was plagued by economic inefficiencies and corruption.
The afghan war operation enduring freedom 20012014 anthony. The tone is clinical, professional, and technical, but the book frequently glosses over the brutality of the soviet occupation and the disintegrating morale of the soldiers stationed there. How a superpower fought and lost 2004, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Presents analysis absolutely vital to western policymakers, as well as to. Feb 28, 2002 the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerilla force the mujahideen. The sovietafghan war, how a superpower fought and lost by. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the verge of disintegration.
How a superpower fought and lost is a professional study of the drawnout conflict. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the. He served as an infantry officer and a soviet foreign area officer fao throughout his career. Soviet forces withdrew from largescale operations and pri marily conducted smallsized ambushes based on intelligence reports. New russian evidence on the soviet intervention in afghanistan, cwihp bulletin winter 199697 issue 89, pp12833. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the sovie. The sovietafghan war how a superpower fought and lost. Now that the united states has its own afghan war, this edited and translated collection of russian general staff studies should attract more readers than usual. How a superpower fought and lost book the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen. The partisans handbook, first published in the soviet union in 1942.
The afghan war operation enduring freedom 20012014. During this phase, soviet authorities withdrew six soviet regiments into the soviet union. The hit and run bloodletting across the war s decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the verge of disintegration. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless.
How a superpower fought and lost 2002, paperback at the best. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. The three misunderstandings of soviet counterinsurgency in. This volume is written at the operational level of war. The sovietafghan war how a superpower fought and lost the russian general staff translated and edited by lester w. A superpowers inability to deny insurgent sanctuary 5a. The soviet afghan war how a superpower fought and lost. The soviet invasion of afghanistan flipped cold war politics on its head. The narrative translates and comments on the soviet general staff study of how a superpower fought and lost. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. For those wondering just how colorful an afteraction report from the monolithic socialist empire can be, wonder no more. Also, the soviets were know looked at as a military superpower that had invaded a poor and almost defenseless country and had killed a large number of innocent people. Army, is an analyst for the foreign military studies office at the armys combined arms center at. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen.
How a superpower fought and lost university press of kansas michael a. Presents analysis absolutely vital to western policymakers, as well as to political. How a superpower fought and lost modern war studies by the russian general staff, lester w. The soviet afghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Kansas university press, 21 january 2002 manhattan, ks. Booktopia has the sovietafghan war, how a superpower fought and lost by lester w. The soviet afghan war was driven by the persistent personalities of us national security advisor, zbigniew brzezinski, his puppet president, jimmy carter, and soviet leader, leonid brezhnev. The afghan war was lost between 911 and 7 october 2001. Full text of the soviet afghan war how a superpower fought. How a superpower fought and lost by russian general staff. How a superpower fought and lost 2002, edited by lester w.
How a superpower fought and lost, a translation from a study prepared for the russian general staff, was published in 2000, and is almost 700 libraries. Full text of the soviet afghan war how a superpower fought and lost see other formats. This war left the soviet union in horrible economic conditions. The soviet afghan war helps clarify how such a surprising demise could have materialized in the backyard of the cold war s other great superpower. Full text of the soviet afghan war how a superpower. Reviewed by jonathan house published on hwar march, 2006 since karl marx considered history to be a science, the professional soldiers of the soviet union always placed a high priority on. The red army had fought their war to a military draw but that was not enough to stave off political defeat at home. In the sovietafghan war the russian general staff takes a close critical look at. The russian general staff translated and edited by lester w. Army combined arms center at fort leavenworth, kansas, is the last of a trilogy that covers the sovietafghan war of 197989. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Grau, russia the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the.