4-D Soviet Style: Defense, Development, Diplomacy, and Disengagement in Afghanistan During the Soviet Period. Part II: Social Development

Part two of the authors' study of the Soviet involvement in Afghnistan deals with social development as one of the elements of the overall Soviet state-building strategy. The authors conclude that Soviet social development policies, the effects of Soviet inspired nationalities policy, and the h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of Slavic military studies 2010-07, Vol.23 (3), p.391-411
Main Authors: Minkov, Anton, Smolynec, Gregory
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Afghanistan
Cultural Groups
Diplomacy
Disengagement
Females
Literacy
Military intervention
Military policy
Military strategy
Political conditions
Political history
Political Parties
Population Policy
Rural Areas
Social change
Social Development
State building
Strategic planning
U.S.S.R
Women's rights
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Summary:Part two of the authors' study of the Soviet involvement in Afghnistan deals with social development as one of the elements of the overall Soviet state-building strategy. The authors conclude that Soviet social development policies, the effects of Soviet inspired nationalities policy, and the heavy-handed response to the opponents of the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) alienated much of the population. The government in Kabul was able to attract some support primarily among the urban and the more educated stratum of the society, but, on the whole, remained isolated from the rural masses. The inability to engage a significant number of people in the state building process seriously undermined the Sovietization strategy. Soviet efforts to raise literacy levels among Afghans, and to enfranchise Afghan women could be qualified as relatively, if ephemerally, successful.
ISSN:1351-8046
1556-3006
DOI:10.1080/13518046.2010.503144