Research into Russians in Afghanistan

Well. In Christmas 1979, Russian troops invaded Kabul (the capital of Afghanistan).
Reasons:
              -The Soviet people were told that they were going to liberate Afghan communists.
              -The Soviet Union wanted better access to the Indian Ocean for trade and their naval fleet. Control of Afghanistan would make trade with India and the Middle East easier.
              -Afghanistan has important natural resources such as: natural gas, uranium, iron ore and copper; all which the Soviets wanted.

The Russians claimed they had been invited in to support the 'legitimate' government, lead by prime minister Hazifullah Amin. He led a communist based government, a belief which rejects religion, which explains the discontent among the Afghans. The Afghans formed a group which they called the Mujahideen, who declared jihad to overthrow the government. The Soviet government called the Mujahideen 'Islamic Extremists'

 In 1979 Amin was shot by the Russians, and replaced by Babrak Kamal. Many Afghan soldiers had deserted to the Mujahideen, so 85,000 Russian soldiers were needed to keep Kamal in power.

However, the Afghans knew the surrounding countryside extremely well, so although the Russians resorted to napalm and poisonous gas, they could not eradicate the Mujahideen, and by 1982 the Mujahideen controlled 75% of Afghanistan. The Russians then left, because their weak economy was being crippled by the massive expense of the troops in Afghanistan. By the end of the 1980s, the Mujahideen had started war with itself as the Taliban began to gain power.