“The implications of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan could pose the most serious threat to the peace since the Second World War.” In 1980, Jimmy Carter was able to recognize the political threat of the Soviet Union colonization and its potentially damaging consequences on global security. Amidst the political clash of the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union engaged in an unsuccessful invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to expand their communist empire. The invasion not only affected Afghanistan for years to come, yet was an embarrassing Soviet blunder that was emblematic of their standing in the Cold War. It is viewed by many as the last straw in the downfall of the Soviets, and the Soviets could never recover.
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Faced with a major economic crisis, the Soviet Union, “could not meet the demand for consumer goods from the rising urban middle class, and it began losing their support.” The socialist system could not provide the means necessary for a superpower, and there was dissension amongst the people that they weren’t given access to new technology. There was a rampant problem with laziness and apathy in the workplace, and, “one very general problem was the the lack of incentives for productivity. As anonymous Soviet citizen said, ‘They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work’ ”. Economic pains were highlighted by the attitudes of the Soviet citizens, who used their government for support instead of themselves. The leadership such as Leonid Breshnev likely wanted to change the economic trajectory of the nation so that it was competitive internationally. The Soviet government needed an asset that would help bring in resources and provide more hope for Soviet economics. When the Soviet leaders saw Afghanistan, a Middle Eastern country, “through which they would have access into warm water ports and gulf oilfields”, they sensed a major opportunity for commerce. Although it is not a primary cause of the conflict, having access to newfound resources played a vital role in the decision to invade Afghanistan. Some might say that the need for economic growth was the foundation for Soviet invasion, and although Afghanistan provided jobs and resources, there are more crucial factors that led to the
Faced with a major economic crisis, the Soviet Union, “could not meet the demand for consumer goods from the rising urban middle class, and it began losing their support.” The socialist system could not provide the means necessary for a superpower, and there was dissension amongst the people that they weren’t given access to new technology. There was a rampant problem with laziness and apathy in the workplace, and, “one very general problem was the the lack of incentives for productivity. As anonymous Soviet citizen said, ‘They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work’ ”. Economic pains were highlighted by the attitudes of the Soviet citizens, who used their government for support instead of themselves. The leadership such as Leonid Breshnev likely wanted to change the economic trajectory of the nation so that it was competitive internationally. The Soviet government needed an asset that would help bring in resources and provide more hope for Soviet economics. When the Soviet leaders saw Afghanistan, a Middle Eastern country, “through which they would have access into warm water ports and gulf oilfields”, they sensed a major opportunity for commerce. Although it is not a primary cause of the conflict, having access to newfound resources played a vital role in the decision to invade Afghanistan. Some might say that the need for economic growth was the foundation for Soviet invasion, and although Afghanistan provided jobs and resources, there are more crucial factors that led to the