The End of Détente: the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (Edexcel GCSE History)

Did the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan End Détente? - Summary

Historians consider the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the official end of détente between the USA and the Soviet Union. The USA viewed the Soviet Union's action as aggressive. To the USA, it looked like a method of making Afghanistan communist against its wishes. The Soviet Union believed their actions were acceptable. The Soviet government believed that they were protecting their Middle Eastern borders.

Some historians argue a decline in US-Soviet relations before 1979. The Soviet government began to support more communist rebels in Angola in 1975. This frightened the USA. President Carter's own advisers, like Zbigniew Brzezinski, urged Carter to take a tougher stance against the Soviet Union. The US public also began to turn against détente. This pressure played a significant role in the US reaction to the invasion of Afghanistan and its relationship with the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Why was the Soviet Union Interested in Afghanistan?

• Middle Eastern countries influenced how safe the leaders of the Soviet Union felt

  • This is because the Soviet Union bordered Middle Eastern countries like Iran and Afghanistan

Map of the Soviet Union and the Middle East

A map showing how close the Soviet Union was to the Middle East

• In 1979, events in the Middle East threatened the Soviet Union

  • A revolution in Iran removed the Shah and established an Islamic Fundamentalist government

    • The Soviet government believed in atheism

    • The Soviet Union contained Muslims. The Soviet government did not want Islamic Fundamentalism to spread through the Soviet Union

• Afghanistan became a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Iran

  • A pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan would protect the citizens of the Soviet Union from the Iranian government

The Events of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

• The Soviet Union already had influence in the Afghanistan government

  • In April 1978, Afghanistan had a pro-Soviet government

• Events in 1979 changed the political situation in Afghanistan and caused the Soviet Union to invade the country

What Happened in the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan?

A flow chart showing the steps made by the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan by December 1979

• The Soviet Union remained in Afghanistan until 1989

  • The Mujahideen continued to fight against the Soviet Union and Kamal's government

The USA's Reaction to the Invasion of Afghanistan

• The US government believed that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was an attempt to spread communism against the people's beliefs

• In January 1980, President Carter informed the US public of the USA's response to the Soviet Union. This became known as the Carter Doctrine. President Carter stated that:

  • The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the biggest threat to world peace since the Second World War

  • The USA would use force to protect the Persian Gulf

    • The USA had an interest in the Persian Gulf as it contained a significant amount of oil

  • He would impose economic sanctions on the Soviet Union

    • The USA also supplied the mujahideen with weapons and money to fight the Soviet Union

The Impact of the Invasion on Cold War Relations

• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan marked the end of détente

  • Some historians argue that the US government overreacted to the invasion to have a reason to end détente

  • President Carter withdrew from SALT 2, marking the end of the collaboration between the USA and the Soviet Union

    • Carter also increased US spending on weapons

• The US public desired the government to take a harsher stance against the Soviet Union

  • Republican candidate Ronald Reagan called President Carter 'weak' and believed that communism was 'evil'

  • Reagan gained a landslide victory in the 1981 presidential election

• The events in Afghanistan increased Cold War tensions and negatively impacted US-Soviet relations

  • The USA and the Soviet Union were more confrontational with each other