Saur Revolution brings the PDPA to power

Mohammed Daoud Khan seized power in a coup while King Zahir Shah was abroad, ending the monarchy and proclaiming a republic. This domestic power shift preceded the later conflict, but it should not be...

An uprising in Herat, involving soldiers and civilians, exposed the government’s fragile authority. The government’s violent response and fears of spreading revolt intensified the crisis. The...

President Jimmy Carter signed a finding authorizing covert support to opponents of the PDPA government, months before Soviet forces entered Afghanistan. The initial program was limited and non-lethal;...

The Soviet Union began a large military deployment into Afghanistan amid the Afghan government’s internal crisis and insurgency. Moscow presented the action as assistance to an allied government; it...

Soviet forces carried out Operation Storm-333, killing President Hafizullah Amin and installing Babrak Karmal. Afghan political agency was constrained by an outside power deciding who would govern,...

Declassified U.S. records state that Washington expanded its covert program to include lethal weapons for Afghan insurgents after Soviet troops entered. Arms and funds moved through Pakistan, with...