February 15, 1989 is the official day of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. At 10:00, the last soldier, Lieutenant General of the 40th Army B.V. Gromov, left Afghanistan on the border crossing the bridge over the Amu Darya River. 24 years have passed since then, but the events of that war have not yet been erased from the memory of the participants, they are reminded of us in books and films.
Everyone remembers the sensational film "9 companies", describing the events of that war. In one episode, when asked about what he would do after returning home, the soldier answered: "Drink, then drink, and drink until I forget the whole nightmare that I experienced there." What did Soviet soldiers have to endure there in the mountains of Afghanistan, and most importantly, for what?
The protracted 10 year war
The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan marked the end of the war, about which, in fact, we know almost nothing. If we compare it with the First and Second World Wars, the information about the "mountain hikes", which dragged on for less than 10 years, was preserved only in the memory of the participants. The unspoken war began on December 25, 1979, and, as a result, the introduction of troops showed the USSR in the international arena as an aggressor.
In particular, the G7 countries did not understand the decision of the USSR, and only the United States was amused by this, since the Cold War between the two strongest states was waged for a long time. On December 29, the Pravda newspaper published an appeal from the Afghan government on outside assistance to resolve internal conflicts. The Soviet Union provided assistance, but almost immediately realized the "Afghan mistake", and the road back was difficult.
In order to carry out the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, the government took almost 10 years, it was necessary to sacrifice the lives of 14 thousand soldiers, 53 thousand to cripple, and also take the lives of 1 million Afghans. It was difficult for Soviet soldiers to wage a
guerrilla war in the mountains, while the Mujahideen knew them like the back of their hand.
The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was one of the main issues that was first raised on February 7, 1980. But the government then considered it necessary to delay the troops, since the situation in Afghanistan, in their opinion, had not stabilized. For the complete liberation of the country, 1.5 to 2 years were needed. Soon L.I. Brezhnev decided on the withdrawal of troops, but his initiative was not supported by Yu. V. Andropov, D.F. Ustinov. For some time, the solution to this problem was suspended, and the soldiers continued to fight and die in the mountains, it is not clear for whose interests. And only in 1985, M. S. Gorbachev resumed the question of the withdrawal of troops, the plan was approved, according to which within two years the Soviet troops had to leave the territory of Afghanistan. And only after UN intervention did the paper go into business. Pakistan and Afghanistan signed peace treaties, the United States was forbidden to get into the country's internal affairs, and the USSR was supposed to carry out the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
Soviet soldiers returned with victory or defeat?
Many people wonder with what result the war ended. Can Soviet soldiers be considered winners?
There is no definite answer, but the USSR did not set itself the task of conquering Afghanistan; it had to assist the government in stabilizing the internal situation. The USSR most likely lost this war to itself, to 14 thousand soldiers and their relatives. Who asked to send troops to this country, what was waiting for them there? History does not know the more reckless slaughter that suffered such sacrifices. The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 1989 was the smartest decision during this war, but a sad precipitate will forever remain in the hearts of physically and morally crippled participants and their loved ones.