Brief History of Afghanistan

1973-1978
1979-1989

1973-1978

   Afghanistan had been a constitutional monarchy prior to 1973, established by Ahmad Shah Durrani during the mid-18th century.  
Although Afghanistan was a traditional Muslim country, it was not run by mullahs or the Shari'ah, the Islamic law.  Afghanistan was based 
upon a tribal power system of organization, in which affairs were governed by secular traditional laws and codes of honor, and by 
the jirgas (tribal councils), open to all adult males of the tribe.  Amir Abdurrahman Khan was the first man who attempted to transform 
this "unpromising material" into a modern nation-state.  He established the country's modern borders and instituted a plan for 
further modernizations and reform that continued until 1973.
   Afghanistan was under the rule of King Mohammad Zahir Shah from 1933-1973.  Political freedom, respect for human rights and
growing improvements on the treatment and status of women was substantial.  It still remained a poor country, with an extremely low
 literacy rate, yet it was a peaceful and independent nation.  However, peace was disrupted in 1973.  Mohammad Daoud, a former premier,
and a cousin of Zahir Shah, staged a coup and overthrew the king.  He declared himself president, and instituted one-party rule, and 
established The Republic of Afghanistan.  His form of government however, was opposed by the radical left-wing intellectuals and soldiers, 
and by traditonal ethnic leaders.  The People's Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), founded in 1965, was the leading leftist organization.  In 
1967, it divided into a pro-Soviet Parcham (the "flag") faction, and a more radical Khalq (the "masses") faction.  These two groups united
in 1976 to oppose Daoud.  
   In 1978, after launching a crackdown against the PDPA, leftist military officers, primarily of the Khalq faction, overthrew Daoud.  Nur
Mohammad Taraki, leader of the PDPA, took over the presidency and together with his lieutenant, Hafizullah Amin, slaughtered many
Parcham leaders.  Toward the end of 1978, Islamic traditionalists and ethnic leaders began an armed revolt, in response to the 
announcement of a dramatic revolutionary program Taraki wanted to implement.
   It is believed that Moscow's hands-on role in Afghan affairs began with the April 1978 coup by the Afghan communist party.  However,
the political turmoil, and eventual Soviet invasion that followed "tore Afghanistan's delicate mosaic of ethnic and religious(link?) groups apart."

           




  Black, Red, Green were adapted in 1924, 1973,
  1981, 1986.  Historically the colors stand for:
  Black: the time of enemies and colonizators invasion into Afghanistan
  Red: Sacrifice for Freedom and Independence Movements in Afghanistan
  Green: Islamic Peace and Prosperity.

 from the FOTW Flags Of The World website at http://fotw.digibel.be/flags/" 


                                                                                                                                
           
                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                           

1979- 1989 

The Technical Aspects of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

Soviet Strategies and the Aftermath

The Reasons for the Invasion





Return to home page