A lecture by Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vasily Khristoforov (Moscow), read in the project "Lectures at the Polytechnic" VyatSU on April 18, 2023, left a noticeable mark on the educational ecosystem of the region
A military historian, archivist, doctor of law, professor, head of the department of international security at the Russian State Humanitarian University, a specialist in the history of the Great Patriotic War and state security agencies, offered the audience a topic that, in a certain sense, resonates with the current difficult geopolitical situation in the world: "Conflicts in Afghanistan: historical memory and lessons." Based on specific examples and their scientific interpretation, the scientist, who has been studying Afghanistan deeply and diversely for many years, has created a brief historical retrospective of the life of the country, which he knows firsthand, in which he lived and worked for a long time.
The Afghan problem continues to be relevant to the world community. The countries that are part of the CSTO structure set the task of monitoring the military-political situation in Afghanistan, cooperation of law enforcement, customs and anti-drug structures. International terrorism, the growth of drug trafficking and the flow of refugees, the radicalization of migrants arriving in Russia - these are the few problems that oblige us to study the "phenomenon of Afghanistan" in various aspects.
- Afghanistan is my favorite country, the country of sun and mountains. What does it mean for Russia? It is a historical partner, it is our friend and ally. The history of Afghanistan is a continuous series of dark interventions by foreign conquests and the heroic resistance of the Afghan people against these conquerors, and therefore it is interesting and necessary to comprehend it.
The first (lecture) part of the meeting was devoted to the origins and causes of constant conflicts in the land of "warriors and poets". The author paid special attention to the history of relations with the Soviet Union, starting from the moment of mutual recognition of the two countries (1919).
The length from the Afghan-Soviet border at that time was more than 2300 km. Geographical proximity pushed both countries to build good neighborly relations. The peak of relations was reached by the mid-1950s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Soviet Union provided enormous economic and military-technical assistance to the Afghan people. Thus, Soviet weapons are supplied to Afghanistan, advisers are traveling, and the diplomatic field of cooperation is expanding. Development is proceeding in the most favorable mode. Suddenly, in 1973, a bloodless coup takes place in Afghanistan. However, this event did not affect the nature of relations between the two countries. Roads and factories are still being built, experts are coming from the USSR, and so on. However, Mohammed Daud, who was in power at that time, played his own game, focusing simultaneously on the Soviet Union and America, taking help from both. It is during the period of Daud that Islamic opposition appears.
Further, the lecturer dwelled on the periodization of conflict centers, the dynamics of the Soviet Union's assistance to Afghanistan. Judging by the documents, it was much more than the help of the Western countries combined. The Soviet Union invested huge amounts of money in Afghanistan.
No less meaningful was the second part of the lecture, when those present asked questions. They concerned, first of all, the nature of the military presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan or the specifics of the American intervention.
- If after the ten-year stay of the USSR army in Afghanistan (1979-1989) the country functioned in a peaceful regime for three years, then after the 20-year presence of the Americans (2001-2021), the effectiveness of their work in creating the state apparatus, national security forces and other vital structures turned out to be negative. The "Great Game" of the United States has only exacerbated the split within society and once again proved that there is no military solution to this problem.
There was a question about losses. V. Khristoforov, anticipating the answer with Bismarck's well-known half-joking aphorism (“nowhere do they lie so much as in hunting, fishing and war”), noted that the estimated characteristics of losses usually differ on both sides of the conflict. It is known that the US Army had fewer losses in 20 years than the Soviet Union had in 10. This is primarily due to the different tactics of conducting a military operation: Soviet troops carried out mainly ground operations, while American troops carried out military operations mainly with the help of missile and bomb strikes.
When asked how the country's economy is developing under the Taliban and what do Afghans live on today, - V. Khristoforov answered:
- Unfortunately, drugs remain the main source of income. Although the Taliban declare that they are constantly fighting them. The worst thing is that the Afghan farmer believes that it is more economically profitable to grow poppies than any agricultural products. Even if 90% of poppy crops are destroyed or taken away, then they will receive more income for the remaining percentage than if they grew, for example, wheat. And this problem is very serious.
When asked about the assessment of the total costs of the war in Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, the scientist stated:
- Materials in numerical terms on this topic are classified, but it is known that the costs were significant. Experts believe that this war was one of the many reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union.
There were many questions. Those present, in particular, were concerned about the topic related to what was the main reason for the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan - the exhausted potential for detente in the 1970s? Or the beginning of a military operation "out of frivolity" ("we won't be there in two months")?
- There are simply no documents indicating how the decision was made. But we must understand that this is a multifactorial story. Many thought that the powerful 40th Army would deal with the opposition for two or three months, they would lay down their arms, and the conflict would end. From my point of view, a mistake was made on our part.
The Afghan war taught a historical lesson. It was the only military operation of the USSR outside the borders of the Soviet state. Russia today needs to revise its strategy of interaction with Afghanistan, moving from a wait-and-see strategy to a more active one, ensuring influence on the state itself and the countries of the Central Asian region. Historical memory suggests that there is no military way to solve the internal problems of Afghan society, be it civil revolutionary outbreaks or the intervention of foreign states.
Concluding the meeting, Vasily Khristoforov expressed the hope that, after all, the world community would be able to convince the current Taliban government that they would change their attitude towards the population and recognize the need for a social contract for all social and religious groups.
- Afghanistan is a beautiful country. It is necessary that people have the opportunity to go there, so that peace and prosperity reign there.
Natalya Pospelova,
Head of the project "Lectures at the Polytechnic" Vyatka State University
