Soviet forces begin entering Afghanistan

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...

Military officers aligned with the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew Daoud’s government. The new leadership launched sweeping reforms and state repression. The political...

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;...

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...

The UN General Assembly adopted resolution 35/37, calling for the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops and affirming the Afghan people’s right to choose their government. The vote reflected broad...

Mohammad Najibullah became general secretary of the PDPA and began promoting a policy of national reconciliation as Soviet leaders sought an exit. Afghan political factions remained divided and...

On 19 December Soviet officials publicly reported Afghan resistance use of U.S.-made Stinger missiles, whose first use they dated to November. The CIA later acknowledged supplying the weapons, which...