The End of Détente: the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (Edexcel GCSE History)

Did the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan End Détente? - Summary

Why was the Soviet Union Interested in Afghanistan?

• Middle Eastern countries influenced how safe the leaders of the Soviet Union felt

  • This is because the Soviet Union bordered Middle Eastern countries like Iran and Afghanistan

Map of the Soviet Union and the Middle East

A map showing how close the Soviet Union was to the Middle East

• In 1979, events in the Middle East threatened the Soviet Union

  • A revolution in Iran removed the Shah and established an Islamic Fundamentalist government

    • The Soviet government believed in atheism

    • The Soviet Union contained Muslims. The Soviet government did not want Islamic Fundamentalism to spread through the Soviet Union

• Afghanistan became a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Iran

  • A pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan would protect the citizens of the Soviet Union from the Iranian government

The Events of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

• The Soviet Union already had influence in the Afghanistan government

  • In April 1978, Afghanistan had a pro-Soviet government

• Events in 1979 changed the political situation in Afghanistan and caused the Soviet Union to invade the country

What Happened in the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan?

A flow chart showing the steps made by the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan by December 1979

• The Soviet Union remained in Afghanistan until 1989

  • The Mujahideen continued to fight against the Soviet Union and Kamal's government

The USA's Reaction to the Invasion of Afghanistan

• The US government believed that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was an attempt to spread communism against the people's beliefs

• In January 1980, President Carter informed the US public of the USA's response to the Soviet Union. This became known as the Carter Doctrine. President Carter stated that:

  • The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the biggest threat to world peace since the Second World War

  • The USA would use force to protect the Persian Gulf

    • The USA had an interest in the Persian Gulf as it contained a significant amount of oil

  • He would impose economic sanctions on the Soviet Union

    • The USA also supplied the mujahideen with weapons and money to fight the Soviet Union

The Impact of the Invasion on Cold War Relations

• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan marked the end of détente

  • Some historians argue that the US government overreacted to the invasion to have a reason to end détente

  • President Carter withdrew from SALT 2, marking the end of the collaboration between the USA and the Soviet Union

    • Carter also increased US spending on weapons

• The US public desired the government to take a harsher stance against the Soviet Union

  • Republican candidate Ronald Reagan called President Carter 'weak' and believed that communism was 'evil'

  • Reagan gained a landslide victory in the 1981 presidential election

• The events in Afghanistan increased Cold War tensions and negatively impacted US-Soviet relations

  • The USA and the Soviet Union were more confrontational with each other