Afghan Crucible: The Soviet Invasion and the Making of Modern Afghanistan

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, 1979, raised critical questions regarding the international order and national sovereignty, according to this exhaustive deep dive. Historian Leake (The Defiant Border) details how the failure of the communist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan to implement their agenda after seizing power in 1978, coupled with their religious intolerance and “ready use of violence,” fueled resistance among the Afghan people. When the country descended into civil war, the Soviet Union launched an invasion to “reinforce the faltering socialist state” and install Babrak Karmal as head of government. However, the international community viewed the invasion as a deliberate attack on a sovereign nation, and regional players such as China, India, Iran, and Pakistan “tried to reshape Afghanistan and Afghans to suit their own interests.” Meanwhile, the U.S. supported the resistance forces with money and weapons, which only served to further destabilize Afghanistan. Leake also details the geopolitical fallout from the ensuing refugee crisis and the “limitations” of international institutions such as the UN in responding to the crisis. Readers without an academic background in the subject may find themselves at sea, but Leake is an accomplished untangler of regional and international politics. This is an expert guide to the forces that continue to roil Afghanistan. (July)