Mujahideen tactics in the soviet-afghan war

Mujahideen fighters, 18,000 afghan troops, and 14,500 soviet soldiers. When the soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979, few experts believed the fledgling mujahideen resistance movement had a chance of withstanding the modern. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war mujahideen air defense planning was also limited. Grau and ali ahmad jalali, the campaign for the caves. For everyone interested in the soviet afghan war and military history tactics id recommend bear went over the mountain. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war ali ahmad jalali, lester w. May 11, 2020 the afghan war quickly settled down into a stalemate, with more than 100,000 soviet troops controlling the cities, larger towns, and major garrisons and the mujahideen moving with relative freedom throughout the countryside. Guerrila warfare archives mujahideen tactics in the afghansoviet war. We should tell taraki and amin to change their tactics. The natural airapproach into urgun follows highway 141 in a northsouth direction.

At this point during cold war, the soviet union was already in a downward turn. Afghanistans resistance movement originated in chaos and, at first, regional warlords waged virtually all of its fighting locally. Mujahideen ranks were occasionally successful in mounting and sustaining an operation. The battles for zhawar in the sovietafghan war the journal of slavic. This book tells the story of the soviet afghan war in the words of the mujahideen guerrillas themselves. The mujahideen fought against soviet and dra troops during the sovietafghan war 19791989.

Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the 20th. These militias called themselves mujahideen and thought that they are fighting a holy war against the infidel communists. Learn tactics from firsthand accounts of the soviet afghan war the bear went over the mountain is a collection of vignettes written by soviet junior officers describing their experiences fighting the mujahideen guerrillas. Jul 11, 2015 these militias called themselves mujahideen and thought that they are fighting a holy war against the infidel communists. He has is the author of three books on the soviet afghan war, including the other side of the mountain. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war as want to read. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war. A mujahideen, a captain in the afghan army before deserting, poses with a group of rebels near herat, afghanistan, on february 28, 1980. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war by ali ahmad jalali and lester w. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war jalali, ali ahmad, grau, lester w. Lester w grau illustrated with over a hundred maps. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war illustrated edition kindle edition by grau, lester k. Lyakhovsky and other authors report that at the same time, the top soviet military and political leadership held secret deliberations on the possibility of early withdrawal of soviet forces from afghanistan. Outnumbered and outgunned, they used classic guerrilla tactics to gradually wear down and finally defeat the soviet army.

Aug 23, 2014 guerrila warfare archives mujahideen tactics in the afghan soviet war. Based on hundreds of interviews with former mujahideen in the mid 1990s, it is an invaluble account of how asymmetric warfare looks from the guerrillas side. How did the mujahideen finally defeat the soviets in afghanistan. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war conflict studies research centre isbn 1903584590 january 2002 background. In the context of afghanistan during the late 20th century, the mujahideen were islamic warriors defending their country from the soviet union, which invaded afghanistan in 1979 and fought a bloody war there for a decade. This is the stronger of graus books on the soviet afghan war by far. How did the mujahideen finally defeat the soviets in. Sep 17, 2019 the word mujahideen comes from the same arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. Jihad with usarms the sovietafghan war i the cold war. The tactics of the mujahideen reflected this lack of central cohesion.

Grau with several new mciadeveloped vignettes from recent u. Grau january 2009 marine corps intelligence activity. The cold war period muslim guerrillas known as the mujahideen, variously commanded by regional afghan warlords heavily subsidized by the united states, fighting against afghan and soviet forces. The september 11th sourcebooks national security archive. The soviet afghan war 19791989 was a conflict between the soviet union and the democratic republic of afghanistan and the rebel mujahideen, who were supported by many western and arab nations. Over 20 years have passed since the sovietafghan war, yet american war fighters are still suffering from the same strategic faults of the soviets. The after action reports focus on the mujahideen tactics that made these commanders, mostly made up of civilians, such a force to be reckoned with. Much more innovation was required from the soviet forces. This publication discusses the tactics employed in the conflict between the mujahideen. Thus, a mujahid is someone who struggles or someone who fights.

At the time, it was reported that the afghan capital of. Even after the retreat of the red army, afghanistan remained in chaos, the. Foreign military studies office, fort leavenworth, kansas. As warfare became more sophisticated, outside support and regional coordination grew. Aug 04, 2014 a mujahideen, a captain in the afghan army before deserting, poses with a group of rebels near herat, afghanistan, on february 28, 1980. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war by ali ahmad jalali and lester w. Afghan insurgent tactics, techniques, and procedures field guide. Foreign military studies office, 1995, xiiixx 2 2 lester w. As the decade of 1970 drew to a close, the soviet union seeking to flex its influence invaded. The army later taught him russian, and his tours of duty included frequent trips to the soviet union and elsewhere. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war by ali ahmad jalali, lester w. For ten years the mujahideen fought a military superpower that had invaded their homeland. The war ended the detente period of the cold war, and resulted in a humiliating defeat for the soviets, who pulled out in 1989, and for.

Even after the retreat of the red army, afghanistan remained in. The politburo sessions of january 17 and 28, 1980 carried extensive discussions of the situation in afghanistan. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan warchapter 1 wikisource. Its borders were arbitrarily drawn by outside powers. Gau oeig miiay suies oice, o eaewo, kasas ioucio y ieuea geea o e.

It is also another translation from original works by the soviet genreral staff, this time a collection of papers based on their analysis of the armies performance over its extended deployment in afghanistan. Buy a cheap copy of the other side of the mountain book by lester w. Soviet troops tried to crush the insurgency by various tactics, but the guerrillas generally eluded their attacks. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war with ali jalali. List of military equipment used by mujahideen during soviet. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war from the worlds largest community of readers. When the mujahideen had it good, they had it very good indeed. Grau 2010, paperback at the best online prices at ebay.

Many weapons were also captured from soviet or dra forces. Home general military history other side of the mountain. The sovietafghan war 197892 was a war in afghanistan that matched the soviet union and its afghan allies against a coalition of anticommunist groups called the mujahideen, supported from the outside by the united states, pakistan, and saudi arabia. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war fort leavenworth, kansas. Jun 01, 2011 technology has added rangeand accuracy, but the terrain still dictates tactics and the mujahideen were quite comfortable applying their timehonored tactics against a modern foe. The mujahideen had heavy machine guns and control of the highground flanking the approach. The soviets withdrew from that country in 1989, leaving the afghan factions to fight it out in a civil war. The sovietafghan war 197892 was a civil war in afghanistan that matched the soviet union and its afghan allies against a coalition of anticommunist groups called the mujahideen, supported from the outside by the united states, pakistan, and saudi arabia. Due to heavy financial support and the supplying of arms to the mujahideen by the us and saudi arabia, the insurgent forces ended up being too much for the soviets, eventually forcing them to withdraw their troops from the country. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war corporate author.

The mujahideen obtained weapons from many sources, mostly supplied by the cia during operation cyclone and channeled through pakistan. Mujahideen tactics in the soviet afghan war jalali, ali ahmad, grau, lester w. At the start of the war, the mujahideen possessed virtually nothing but small arms with which to combat soviet aircraft. This list shows military equipment used by the mujahideen during the sovietafghan war. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war illustrated edition. Jan 01, 2002 3 this was the case during two wars with great britain in the 19th century 18391842, 18781880. Guerrilla warfare, military history, military policy, soviet afghan war, counterinsurgency. The soviets intervened in december 1979 after over a year of unsuccessful fighting against the anticommunist mujahideen rebels, and in a war that lasted the duration of the 1980s, 175,000 soviet. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war center for security. When the soviet union invaded afghanistan in 1979, few experts believed that the fledgling mujahideen resistance movement had a chance of withstanding the. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war by ali ahmad jalali paperback online at lulu. Foreign military studies office army fort leavenworth ks personal authors.