The bloody aftermath of the soviet occupation set the ground for a new force to emerge. They were really seen as angels, these young angels who had arrived to save the country. On december 27th, 1979, soviet special forces stormed the presidential palace in kabul. The president, hafizullah amin, was killed. This was the start of the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The soviets had invaded to shore up the communist government. Afghanistan s communists had taken power in a coup in 1978, but opposition to the radical modernisation programme, together with internal communist party squabbling, had resulted in crisis. Moscow ran out of patience. After assassinating president amin, soviet forces poured into afghanistan and occupied the major cities. This was the first time in the cold war that a regular armed force, tanks, jet fighters, was crossing into another country and occupying it. Now, if they had their own jet fighters, at the air force base in bagram and herat, they could have control
Hakim examines the rise of the taliban after the soviet occupation of afghanistan. Back in control. After nearly 20 years of conflict, thousands of lives lost and trillions of dollars spent, the taliban has seen off the us, nato and their afghan allies. A stunning success for them and another superpower humbled in the streets and fields of afghanistan. But to understand these events and the origins of the taliban, we need to go back to the cold war. The bloody aftermath of the soviet occupation set the ground for a new force to emerge. They were really seen as angels, these young angels who had arrived to save the country. On december 27th, 1979, soviet special forces stormed the presidential palace in kabul. The president, hafizullah amin was killed. This was the start of the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The soviets had invaded to shore up the communist government. Afghanistan s communists had taken power in a coup in 1978, but opposition to the radical modernisation programme, tog
In charge. So in 1839, the brits invaded afghanistan. They tried to install their own guy who they had handpicked to run afghanistan which would make afghanistan closer aligned with them. The british stayed to fight that war, but ultimately it did not work out. The brits left in 1842. But then 35, 40 years later, the british army tried again. The brits were freaked out all over again that happen a place they thought ought to be allied with them was actually more inclined toward russia, the same thing that had driven them 35, 40 years before. So in 1848, the british invaded afghanistan again. And again they installed their own handpicked guy, this time for a hot minute they actually thought they had won and that afghanistan would have a longterm alliance with britain, which is what they were seeking in that first and second war. But the guy they installed in the government, he abdicated, and afghanistan went their own way and british left again. It was 35 years between the first war and
With russia, instead of them, giving russia too much influence in a place where britain thought that they should be in charge. So in 1839, the brits invaded afghanistan, they tried to install their own, guy who they had handpicked to run afghanistan. Who they thought would make afghanistan more closely aligned with them. The british army state for several years, fighting that war, but in the end that did not work out. The brits left in 1842. But then, 30 5:40 years later, the british army tried again. The brits were freaked out all over again, that a place they thought out to be aligned with them, was actually more inclined toward russia, same thing that has driven them 30 5:40 years before. In so in 1878, the british invaded afghanistan again. And again they installed their own handpicked guy. This time for a hot minute they actually thought they had one. In that afghanistan would have a long term alliance with britain, which is what they were seeking in that first and second or. But
Would make afghanistan closely aligned with them. The british stayed to fight that war, but ultimately it did not work out. The brits left in 1842. But then 35, 40 years later, the british army tried again. The brits were freaked out all over again that a place they thought ought to be aligned with them was actually more inclined with russia, the same thing that had driven them 35, 40 years before. So in 1848, the british invaded afghanistan again. And again they installed their own handpicked guy, this time for a hot minute they actually thought they had won and that afghanistan would have a longterm alliance with britain, which is what they were seeking in that first and second war. But the guy they installed in the government, he abdicated, and afghanistan went back to its previous ways again and the british left again. How long does it take to forget? it was 35 years between the first war and the second one. It was another 35 or 40 years before they invaded a third time. At the clo