Performing organization names and addresses united states marine corps,command and staff college, marine corps. Army, is an analyst for the foreign military studies office at the armys combined arms center at. A superpowers inability to deny insurgent sanctuary 5a. In the sovietafghan war the russian general staff takes a close critical look at.
You get what you pay for, this is the literary equivalent of the cold, soulkilling, concrete block architecture employed by the soviets through eastern europe and afghanistan. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The sovietafghan war, how a superpower fought and lost by. The soviet afghan war how a superpower fought and lost. The russian general staff translated and edited by lester w. The soviet afghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Reviewed by jonathan house published on hwar march, 2006 since karl marx considered history to be a science, the professional soldiers of the soviet union always placed a high priority on. He served as an infantry officer and a soviet foreign area officer fao throughout his career. New russian evidence on the soviet intervention in afghanistan, cwihp bulletin winter 199697 issue 89, pp12833. Army combined arms center at fort leavenworth, kansas, is the last of a trilogy that covers the sovietafghan war of 197989. The red army had fought their war to a military draw but that was not enough to stave off political defeat at home. The tone is clinical, professional, and technical, but the book frequently glosses over the brutality of the soviet occupation and the disintegrating morale of the soldiers stationed there. Now that the united states has its own afghan war, this edited and translated collection of russian general staff studies should attract more readers than usual. The afghan war operation enduring freedom 20012014 anthony.
By the russian general staff, translated and edited by lester w. Also, the soviets were know looked at as a military superpower that had invaded a poor and almost defenseless country and had killed a large number of innocent people. The sovietafghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience. How a superpower fought and lost is a professional study of the drawnout conflict. The afghan war was lost between 911 and 7 october 2001. Soviet forces withdrew from largescale operations and pri marily conducted smallsized ambushes based on intelligence reports.
The sovietafghan war helps clarify how such a surprising demise could have materialized in the backyard of the cold wars other great superpower. Grau, russia the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the. This war left the soviet union in horrible economic conditions. For those wondering just how colorful an afteraction report from the monolithic socialist empire can be, wonder no more. The soviet invasion of afghanistan flipped cold war politics on its head. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless. The sovietafghan war how a superpower fought and lost the russian general staff translated and edited by lester w.
How a superpower fought and lost 2004, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. How a superpower fought and lost, a translation from a study prepared for the russian general staff, was published in 2000, and is almost 700 libraries. During the third phase of the war, the brunt of the fighting was transferred to the afghan forces. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen.
Americas first conventional battle in afghanistan were published in. How a superpower fought and lost 2002, edited by lester w. How a superpower fought and lost modern war studies by the russian general staff, lester w. The sovietafghan war how a superpower fought and lost. Full text of the soviet afghan war how a superpower fought. Presents analysis absolutely vital to western policymakers, as well as to. The narrative translates and comments on the soviet general staff study of how a superpower fought and lost. The partisans handbook, first published in the soviet union in 1942. Offers a candid view of a war that played a significant role in the ultimate demise of the soviet union. The soviet afghan war helps clarify how such a surprising demise could have materialized in the backyard of the cold war s other great superpower. The soviet afghan war was driven by the persistent personalities of us national security advisor, zbigniew brzezinski, his puppet president, jimmy carter, and soviet leader, leonid brezhnev. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the. How a superpower fought and lost by russian general staff.
World in the 20th century december 2012 while political dynamics played a large role in the collapse of the soviet union, economic breakdown was the main cause of its deterioration. How a superpower fought and lost university press of kansas michael a. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the sovie. Grau, lieutenant colonel lester w, gress, michael a. Kansas university press, 21 january 2002 manhattan, ks. Why did the soviet union lose the war in afghanistan. Full text of the soviet afghan war how a superpower fought and lost see other formats. During this phase, soviet authorities withdrew six soviet regiments into the soviet union. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. Gress the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet. How a superpower fought and lost 2002, paperback at the best. The three misunderstandings of soviet counterinsurgency in. Feb 28, 2002 the war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerilla force the mujahideen. The primary subject of the study is the soviet 40th army, which invaded afghanistan to prevent the fall of a friendly government in kabul, then stayed on to battle a relentless.
The hit and run bloodletting across the war s decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the verge of disintegration. The afghan war operation enduring freedom 20012014. Booktopia has the sovietafghan war, how a superpower fought and lost by lester w. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the verge of disintegration.
The afghan war operation enduring freedom 20012014 anthony tuckerjones drugs, war and terrorism were the unholy trinity that brought the usled air campaign crashing down on the taliban regime in afghanistan in october 2001 in operation enduring freedom, and this photographic history is a graphic introduction to it. The soviet afghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. This volume is written at the operational level of war. Full text of the soviet afghan war how a superpower.