Ideologies in Motion: the Soviet War in Afghanistan
The Individual In History
The grey war
The beginning of the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1979 marked a new phase in the Cold War, the effects of which would continue to cast a shadow over modern politics into the next millennium. 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 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan flipped Cold War politics on its head. The war was a clash of personalities and manipulation, masked by a façade of noble ideological intentions, which has shaped the way modern politics is conducted. This can be proven by analysing primary and secondary sources of information concerning the politicians and their policies surrounding the war.
To understand the Cold War and, therefore, the proxy wars which arose from it, it is essential to understand what the ideologies behind the conflict were. Ideology is accurately referred to by the BusinessDirectory in 2012 as “[a] system of ideas that explains and lends legitimacy to actions or beliefs of a social, religious, political or corporate entity”. The ideologies, or in this case, driving political excuses, behind both super powers, America and Soviet Russia, were communism and capitalism. Communism is a classless social system in which all people are equal and all property is jointly owned by the state. This system was first introduced by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the book, The Communist Manifesto, which promoted ideals of common ownership (BusinessDirectory, 2012). The ideological opposite of communism, which was championed by the political opposite of the Soviet Union, America, is capitalism. Capitalism challenges the core ideals of communism. Where communism promotes equality, capitalism is based on the beliefs of private ownership and production (BusinessDirectory, 2012).
The various leaders during the Soviet Afghan war each privileged a
The grey war
The beginning of the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1979 marked a new phase in the Cold War, the effects of which would continue to cast a shadow over modern politics into the next millennium. 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 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan flipped Cold War politics on its head. The war was a clash of personalities and manipulation, masked by a façade of noble ideological intentions, which has shaped the way modern politics is conducted. This can be proven by analysing primary and secondary sources of information concerning the politicians and their policies surrounding the war.
To understand the Cold War and, therefore, the proxy wars which arose from it, it is essential to understand what the ideologies behind the conflict were. Ideology is accurately referred to by the BusinessDirectory in 2012 as “[a] system of ideas that explains and lends legitimacy to actions or beliefs of a social, religious, political or corporate entity”. The ideologies, or in this case, driving political excuses, behind both super powers, America and Soviet Russia, were communism and capitalism. Communism is a classless social system in which all people are equal and all property is jointly owned by the state. This system was first introduced by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the book, The Communist Manifesto, which promoted ideals of common ownership (BusinessDirectory, 2012). The ideological opposite of communism, which was championed by the political opposite of the Soviet Union, America, is capitalism. Capitalism challenges the core ideals of communism. Where communism promotes equality, capitalism is based on the beliefs of private ownership and production (BusinessDirectory, 2012).
The various leaders during the Soviet Afghan war each privileged a
Bibliography: 1. Ali, T (2002) Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads & Modernity London: Verso 2 3. American Peace Award (2009) “American Peace Award” [Online] Available www.americanpeaceaward.com Date Accessed: 7/5/2012 4 5. Business Directory (2012) “Communism” Definition [Online] Available www.buisinessdirectory.com Date Accessed: 24/4/2012 6 7. Coll, Steve, (2005) Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan & BinLaden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 Penguin Group, New York, USA 8 9. Fox News (2011) “Osama BinLaden Killed in Fire Fight with U.S. Special OPS Team in Pakistan” [Online] Available www.foxnews.com Date Accessed: 29/5/2012 10 11. Guide To Russia (2004) “Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan” [Online] Available www.e-irinfo Date Accessed: 14/5/2012 12 13. Kaplan, Robert, (2001) Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Vintage Books, Toronto Canada 14 15. Laver, John (1997) Stagnation and Reform: The USSR 1964-91 p.44 Hodder and Stoughton 16 17. Osama Bin Laden A Non-threatening Profile, DVD (2001) Marcom Projects, Dolby Digital 18 19. Prados, John (2001) “Lessons from the last war” U.S. Analysis of the soviet war in Afghanistan: Declassified [Online] Available www.gwu.edu Date Accessed: 1/5/2012 20 21. Reshyta, Sayed Quasim (1984) “Contemporary Afghanistan-The Last Sixty Years (1919-1979)” The Price of Liberty The Tragedy of Afghanistan [Online] Available www.afghan-web.com Date Accessed: 13/5/12 22 23. The Carter Centre (2012) “Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope” [Online] Available www.cartercentre.org Date Accessed: 7/5/2012 24