War Termination by an Authoritarian State. The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan
Abstract
Disengaging from a military stalemate overseas is a difficult process, and the U.S. has never been very good at it. Many Americans would argue that our problem stems from the very nature of our democracy, especially our inability to speak with one voice on foreign policy and to keep secrets. But does an authoritarian re#me have an easier time of disengaging than a democracy? This paper looks at the experience of the USSR in leaving Afghanistan to try to answer this question. Most observers agree that when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in March 1985, he was eager to bring Soviet troops home from Afghanistan as soon as possible. Yet it took him three years to get the Geneva Peace Accords signed and four years to complete the Soviet troop withdrawal Not only did it take a long time, but the settlement fell apart even as the Soviet withdrawal was going forward. And by the time Gorbachev left office, the worst predictions of the 1979 hawks had come true: Afghanistan had degenerated into chaos, and its territory was serving as a launching pad for attacks on former Soviet territory. Every military engagement is different, as are the causes of and paths to disengagement. Still, whatever the nature of the political system, any leader who sets out to bring the troops back from abroad without a clearcut victory or defeat needs to accomplish three basic tasks: create and sustain a domestic consensus supporting withdrawal; maintain stability on the ground during the withdrawal process; and work out international arrangements supporting the withdrawal Using this three-part framework, this paper analyzes the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Our purpose is to see whether the authoritarian nature of the Soviet system helped or hindered the withdrawal process, and whether there are any lessons that democracies can learn from the Soviet experience.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA443156
Entities
People
- Judith Deane
Organizations
- National War College