Soviet Invasion Of The Cold War Essay

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The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late December 1979, marked a turning point for the Cold War in the United States. The Soviet Union had sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan, and they quickly assumed political and military control of Kabul and other large portions of the country. This overt display of Soviet force formally ended the period of détente that had been used by Nixon and Ford. The invasion was significant because it was the first time the Soviet Union had invaded a country outside of the Eastern Bloc.
The expansion of Communism was a key issue that faced the United States. The United States was forced to return to the strategy of containment. The Soviet Union’s support of socialism in Third World countries was a concern for the United States. The era of détente was over, and was replaced with fear and suspicion that had existed during the height of the Cold War. The primary economic motivation for United States involvement in Afghanistan stemmed from oil.
Recent political changes in Afghanistan had caused alarm in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had long supported socialist regimes in Afghanistan. Initially Soviet involvement was limited to covert operations; however, on December 24, 1979 Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev ordered troops into Afghanistan to suppress the growing civil war. Once they had reached Kabul, a coup was staged and an Afghan socialist assumed power. Hafizullah Amin became Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan in the summer of 1973.
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He soon learned that Babrak Karmal was planning a plot to overthrow the regime. Amin retaliated by executing many of the Parchamists who had planned the coup. Continuous fighting resulted in the signing of a friendship treaty between Amin and Taraki that would allow for Soviet assistance against Islamic insurgency. The Carter administration began funneling aid to mujahedeen in response to Soviet support of Amin and Taraki. The civil war continued and in the winter of 1979, Afghan troops were unable to defend the government prompting the Soviet invasion on December 24, 1979. A puppet government headed by Babrak Karmal assumed power after Soviet troops assassinated Amin. Although the Carter administration was largely aware of Soviet movements regarding Afghanistan, they were reluctant to act on the issue. After the invasion, Carter pledged to protect Middle Eastern oil from Soviet attack. Months prior to the invasion, Carter had been supplying Afghan rebels with aid to fight the Soviet backed Afghans. Many saw Carter’s unwillingness to directly act as a sign of weakness. Throughout his presidency he is known for the failures of key foreign policy issues including the Iran Hostage Crisis. The invasion had economic, political, and social consequences in the United States. President Carter enforced a grain embargo against the Soviets that was not as effective as he had hoped. The grain embargo placed a strain on the American farmer. Other initiatives imposed by Carter included banning technology exports. Economic problems persisted in the United States including rising inflation, unemployment, and skyrocketing gas prices. Carter also requested that Congress delay action on the SALT II Treaty. The boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow by the United States and 61 other countries was the largest in Olympic history. The Soviet invasion had occurred only one month after Iranian militants seized American hostages. Public support for Carter had waivered after he failed to secure the release of the U.S. hostages. Throughout his presidency, many saw Carter as naïve in the realm of foreign policy. Another key concern for the United States was Afghanistan’s proximity to the Persian Gulf. If the Soviets controlled the region, they could shut down trade in the region which included the valuable commodity of oil. The Carter administration was already suffering the wrath of American consumers over the high price of gas and oil in the United States. If the Soviet Union was able to block or restrict access to Middle East oil reserves, the results would be disastrous for the United States. The “red scare” threat was reinvigorated by the Carter administration. In his address to the nation, Carter suggested that the Soviet Union posed the biggest threat to the world since World War II. Carter’s administration

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