I watched a TV show on cable last night (The Travel Channel)-it was “THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS PLACES”-Robert Young Pelton visiting the Afghan rebels. I thought it would be really exciting-slipping across borders, getting shot at etc. Well, I wasn’t impressed at all-most of the “battles” looked like low grade B movie sets. In addition, I really got to dislike this guy (Pelton) if he was telling the truth, he was putting innocent people at risk for nothing. Is this guy legit?
By the way, Afghanistan looks like a huge sand and gravel pit-hardly seems worth fighting over. Why were the Russians worried about holding on to it?
It’s hard to say why the Soviets were interested in Afganistan. Some say it was just atavistic expansionism inherent in the Great Russian character.
One theory I heard at the time - not necessarily true, but interesting - was that Afganistan was to be a staging area for a future Indo-Soviet invasion of Pakistan. The Indians would regain contested areas and be rid of a hostile neighbor, the USSR would gain access to a warm-water port. The warm-water port thing is a big issue in a lot of Russian history - the only ports Russia has historically had are frozen for much of the year (Murmansk, Leningrad, Archangel), bottled up by a hostile power (Odessa, Sevastopol) or far from the European center of Russian industry (Vladivostock). So a big bustling port like Karachi is obviously attractive. (Of course, it’s not really close to European Russia either, but that doesn’t really fit in the theory.) Is it really reasonable to imagine a British-influenced republic like India cooperating with the Soviets? Good question. India is a big mystery to me. In any case, they have cooperated with Russia, both pre- and post-end-of-Soviet-era, so maybe it was conceivable, especially in the Cold War, especially to worried planners in the U.S. and Pakistan.
::tiggeril creeps warily out of the Pit into the gleaming white corridors of GD::
IIRC, Indian leaders (Nehru, but don’t hold me to that) were offended by the US’s siding with Pakistan in one of the Kashmir debates, and resolved to side with Russia instead. Unfortunately, that decision left India in a very bad position, diplomatically speaking.
::tiggeril flees back to the heat and the charcoal comfort of the Pit::
The Russians have been interested in Afghanistan since the 1880’s-in fact, the british invaded it (Afghanistan) to prevent Czarist Russia from getting control over it. From what I understand, the british had their hans full trying to conrol Afghanistan-the Pathan people are quite wild and unpredictable. In the the days of British India it was said of the Afghans…“once they reach 10 years, only a bullet will kill them!”
I was under the distinct impression that the USSR saw Afghanistan as a staging post for expansion into the Middle East - i.e. Iran and the Persian Gulf. I can’t remember where I read this, but it was all connected (predictably enuogh) with control over Middle East oil supplies and shipping in the Gulf.
Here, follow this link http://www.fieldingtravel.com/df/index.htm and click on Dangerous Places
Actually, the Soviets weren’t taking over the country. They were simply aiding one side in a civil war.