Afghanistan war

Página 1

Analyse

the impact of either Vietnam (1964 - 75) or Afghanistan (1979 - 88) on the

development of the Cold War

Taken from Quizlet!

The 1979 Soviet invasion

of Afghanistan marked the start of renewed hostility as the so-called Second or

New Cold War occurred. The invasion led to widespread condemnation of the USSR

and was perceived in the West as evidence of the expansionist tendencies of the

USSR. It marked the end of any further negotiation between the superpowers.

President Carter withdrew the SALT II Treaty from the Senate, cut off trade

contacts between the USA and the USSR, boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980,

and increased arms spending. It was also a key issue of the US presidential

election of 1980, won by Ronald Reagan. Under Reagan, the USA embarked on a

program of arms expansion in order to meet the threat of the "evil

empire". He also developed the Reagan Doctrine, an important Cold War

strategy to oppose the influence of the Soviet Union by backing anti-communist

guerrillas against Soviet client states. Upon becoming president, Reagan moved

quickly to undermine Soviet efforts to subdue the government of Afghanistan.

Islamic mujahideen guerrillas were covertly supported and trained, and backed

in their jihad against the occupying Soviets by the CIA. The Agency committed

billions of dollars in military aid to the guerrillas.

When

Gorbachev came to power in 1985, the Soviet experience in Afghanistan (where

the war had dragged on without a decisive result, but which had cost the

Soviets over 15 000 soldiers and $8 billion per year) led to a re-evaluation of

Soviet involvement in developing countries. It led to the withdrawal of the

Soviets from Afghanistan; it became part of Gorbachev's "New Political

Thinking" and eventually contributed to the end of the Cold war.

Analyse the impact of Afghanistan (1979 - 88) on the development of the Cold War

Chronology

1979: massive demostrations and unrest in Afghanisatn. USSR was involved with little air attcks, but not full invasion. In the end of teh same year the Soviet Politburo took the decision of a full invasion

in teh beginning of 1980: UN condemns the Soviet invasion

Important Key words:

Détente (a French word meaning release from tension) is the name given to a period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union that began tentatively in 1971 and took decisive form when President Richard M. Nixon visited the secretary-general of the Soviet Communist party, Leonid I. Brezhnev, in Moscow, May 1972.

The term was used to the relationship that existed after the Cuban crisis, but ended with the invasion of Afghanisatan

it meant a more permanent relaxation of tension

it included attempts to limit nuclear arms arce

Casues of Detente: developments within the superpowers, but also teh awareness of the potential danger of confrontation leading to nuclear destruction.

The achievements of Detente! By early 1970s the superpowers were in position to accept agreement consering the secure on issues of MUTAL CONCERN.

Treaties such as Salt I has been seen as an central acheviment of Defente, but their limited success, made som hsitroians see Defente as suerficial.

Salt I had been interim, and in 1974 attemt to negionate to another treaty for arm limitation. However, amongst other thing,d ue to teh limitation of Afghan it was rejected by USA in 1980.

The collapse of Detente! It didn't surve both Suerpoerws. It was needed for the US during its war with Vietnam and for the Soviet Union, to reduce its spending on military and also establish influnce in other countries.

Historical interpretations

The Liberal School devloped the orthodx view and its dominated historical thinking in the west unyil the 1970s. To them the aggressive and expansionist nature of the Soviet Union is an uxpeced outcome of tehir powerful military and ideology. Although it was challenged during teh 1960s, it was renewed after the invasion of Afghanistan.

This orthodox view has been criticised for ignoring or failing to understad the legitimate defensive needs of teh Soviet Union.

THE END OF THE SOVIET UNION

Historian such as J.L. Gaddis state that one of the main reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union is the hard-line approch by the US towards the Soviet Union, and that The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), (also known as Star Wars, was a program first initiated on March 23, 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union) was the main resaon for its bankruptcy.

However, historians such as M. Bowker argued that the Soviet Union saw teh SUPERPOWER RIVALY AS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE even before teh consideration of SDI.

This means that one hsitroians see Afhganistan as a contributing factro to the collpase of the USSR.

Why and how did superpower rivarly change between 1979 and 1991?

The invasion of Afhganistan marked teh start to renewed hostility as the so called Second or New cold war occurred.

Under Ronald Reagan, the US started a programme of very high arms expansion to meet teh treath of the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union.

However, it was sorter-lived

When Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet leader in 1985 he represented a new generation in the Politburo. His determination to implement new reforms, which had an significant afctor in the end of the Soviet Union and also the Cold War.

Why did the Second war Develop?

The Soviet invasion of Afghanisatn is the starting point. In the West the invasion was seen as an evidence of the continuation of teh expansionist tendencies of the USSR.

However, the renewed hostaility cold also be seen to exist since 1976, during the US Presidency of Jimmy Carter. He hoped to use the respect of human rights as teh basis of his foreign policy with the USSR in order to reduce tension, which didnt work!

Carter condemned the Soviet action and withdraw the SALT II treaty from teh Senate and also cut off tade contacts with Us and USSR and encorugaed the a western boycott of the Moscow Olampics.

The events in Afhganistan marked the end of any further neogitiation between teh superowers.

The new Islamic republic of Iran did not only treten the oil assets for US, but aslo a treat to the Soviet interest and stability.

The Soviet Union justified the invasion under Brezhnev Doctrine!

The Afhganistan invasion had been one of the key issues of teh Us presidential election of 1980, and led to teh victory of Roald Reagan, who is popular for his anti/communist views. He incerased the military spending like never before and increased the growth of US influnce in the Third Wolrd, which later became known as the Reagan Doctrine. It lead to incerase support of anti/communist insurgents and anti/communist governmnets. One of teh examples is teh Mujahdin in Afganistan. This showed to USSR that US would take any actions need aginst communist expansion.

When it cames to teh Soviet polcies, it was dominated by old and with bad physical consitions leders from 1980 to 1985, the socalled Gerontocracy period. They lacked teh ability to impose new reforms, which the Soveit desperatly needed.

Conclusion: the Afghanistan invasion has been used by teh West to balme USSR for the start of the Second Cold War! Moreover, the development of the Second Cold war was also lead by the changes in the US policy. The Soviet inflexibility in the 1980s didnt do much in order to reduce the intension.

WHY DID TEH COLD WAR COME TO AN END?

It was the changes in the Soviet political thinking taht brought the end of teh Cold war. Mostly due to Gorbachev, who was from a younger generation, who made domestic as was a international changes.