November 2013

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, or the “Soviet Union’s Vietnam War,” as some like to call it, was a perfect summary of the Cold War. The conflict began on December 25, 1979 but was preceded by shake ups in the government. After a series of takeovers and executions of Nur Mohammad Taraki, Hafizullah Amin and then finally Babrak Karmal, Leonid Brezhenv and the Soviet troops invaded under the guise of “exertion of fraternal aid.”  James von Geldern’s belief in his article, “Invasion of Afghanistan” in Seventeen Moments in Soviet History is that the Soviet leader felt betrayed after Taraki’s execution.

Taraki was a great sympathizer to the communist and Soviet cause. He aimed for secular education, equal rights for women and land reforms very similar to changes made in Soviet Central Asia. Taraki’s popularity amongst Soviet leadership did not translate back to the people. Islamic resistance formed due to their dissent of the former leader’s many reforms and became known as the “mujahideen.”  These rebels were also incensed about the current leader, Hazifullah Amin’s attempt to westernize Afghanistan and his departure from Muslim tradition.

On Christmas of 1979, Russian troops landed in the capital of Afghanistan and arrested thousands of Muslim leaders while others fled to the mountains. These leaders were joined by thousands of other Afghan Muslims who declared a jihad on the supporters of the Amin. The mujahideen were incredibly successful and  Mikhail Gorbachev took Russia out of Afghanistan after he realized that Russia had no chance of winning the war and the economy was being crippled by this conflict.

What’s interesting about this issue were the news reports in the Soviet Union of the Afghanistan-Soviet struggle. The reports seemed to be heavily biased and one-sided. The two main sources were from Pravda, a leading Soviet newspaper and “organ of the CPSU Central Committee” and the second is TASS, which was an agency which had formed a monopoly on news collection and distribution. One Pravda editorial entitled, “Soviet Troops in Afghanistan? Pure Fabrication,” was a condemnation of the western news media’s reports and their “false” reports and planted rumors about Soviet interference in affairs in Afghanistan. The report further states that “it is common knowledge that relations between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan are based on a firm foundation of good neighborliness, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and equal, mutually advantageous cooperation.” It was blatantly obvious, however, that the Soviet Union had dipped its feet into politics in Afghanistan. Their placement of Karmal was probably the largest example, yet not the only one.   In a radio broadcast on December 29, 1979, the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan asked for military help by the USSR. They stated that “taking into account the continuing and broadening interference and provocations by external enemies of Afghanistan and with a view to protecting the gains of the Afghan revolution, national independence and maintaining peace and security… [the DRA government] has asked the USSR for urgent political, moral and economic assistance, including military assistance which the government of the DRA had earlier repeatedly requested from the government of the Soviet Union.” This statement makes it seem as if the government of Afghanistan is united in its request for Soviet assistance and it also seems as if it’s the people’s request in a sense. However, from multiple historical accounts and with the formation of the mujahideen, Soviet interference was not welcome in the slightest.

Afghanistan and the Soviet Union alike have had a rich and divisive history. This conflict was a perfect example of the complexities of communist relations and of the Soviet Union’s failed attempts at keeping the communist form of government in existence.

Works Cited

“Appeal by the Government of Afghanistan.” Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=article&ArticleID=1980appeal1&SubjectID=1980afghanistan&Year=1980

Von Geldern, James. “Invasion of Afghanistan.” Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1980afghanistan&Year=1980&navi=byYear

“Western Fabrications.” Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=article&ArticleID=1980fabrication1&SubjectID=1980afghanistan&Year=1980

Image: http://www.soviethistory.org/images/Large/1980/doc1.jpg?rand=193246525

Once again, directors in the Soviet state took  a radically new direction with film. I had previously blogged about how under the direction of Boris Shumiatskii, Soviet films suddenly became lighthearted affairs which did little to promote the Soviet state and values while focusing on becoming a completely entertaining experience. Films such as Happy-Go-Lucky, a musical in which actors who were playing in a band playfully began to hit each other with their instruments throughout much of the movie, were quite common. The few films that dealt with the Soviet state in the post-war period pretended that the Soviet Union was a peaceful place with healthy families and couples. It was as if the war had never even occurred. Even rarer were the films that addressed the war; these films were focused more on the experience of the leaders of the war effort as opposed to the soldiers. The time of ignorance, however, quickly came to a halt.

Cranes are Flying was a revolutionary film made in 1957 and directed by Mikhail Kalatazov. In the story, the heroine, Veronika (who was played by Tat’iana Samoilova) was in a relationship with Boris (played by Aleksei Batalov), who passes away while fighting in the war. The movie is a story about a woman who tries to give herself a decent living after the passing of her loved one. This was a ground-breaking movie because it “chronicled the failure of Soviet leadership in the first days of war… and shows people whose sole concern is themselves” (James von Geldern). Cranes are Flying In the link is a clip from the movie which shows the heroine who is unable to find her boyfriend, Boris, before he leaves to fight in war. The scene is an incredibly chaotic few minutes which is undoubtedly a commentary on how the Soviets, especially the women, felt a considerable amount of heartache during the war and also about how excruciatingly frenzied the beginning of the war was. In the beginning of the scene, it was as if Tatiana didn’t even know Boris was leaving for what would be his very last time and leaves the viewer feeling incredibly sad that Tatiana couldn’t say goodbye.  Clearly, this movie is a big departure from the carefree and casual films previously made in the post-war period.

The movie was extraordinary and hauntingly real for both Soviet viewers and for international viewers alike and won the Golden Palm Award at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. It was celebrated for its truthfulness in the storytelling. Gone were the days in which films were like Soviet propaganda, showing heroic Soviet soldiers and brave Soviet citizens. Films such as Cranes are Flying gave the audience a genuine story about the struggles and hardships during the war. Beyond the movie, it helped audiences from around the world gain an appreciation for the Soviet Union and contempt for war.

Works Cited

Sadoule, Georges. “Thoughts on Festival in Cannes.” Current Digest of the Russian Press. 1957. http://dlib.eastview.com/browse/doc/13822063

von Geldern, James. “War Films.” Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1956cranes&Year=1956&navi=byYear

Image: Cranes are Flying by B.A. Zelenskii. Electronic Museum of Russian Posters. http://www.soviethistory.org/images/thumb.php?year=1956&fname=428.jpg

Video: The Cranes are Flying by Mikhail Kalatazov. http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&show=video&SubjectID=1956cranes&Year=1956&navi=byYear