War in Afghanistan

The covert CIA actions in Afghanistan from 1979-1989 to support Mujahedin rebels fight off the invading Soviet influence, were necessary for not only stopping the spread of communism and preventing a hot war, but central to the beginning of the fall of the Soviet Union. “The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was viewed in the West — and not just in the United States — as the ultimate proof of aggressive intent.” Afghanistan is not as much a regime change instigated by the CIA, as it is an effort…

another person’s freedom fighter” (unknown). This quote is applicable to international relations in the most recent scenario where former president Ronald Reagan and his administration called the Afghan Mujahideen “freedom fighters” during the Cold War against the Soviet Union, yet two decades later, when a new generation of Afghans are fighting against a regime installed by foreign Western powers, the United States administration under George W. Bush labelled them “terrorists”. Just last year,…

When someone examines the end of the Cold War, there are many different point of views they can take a look at. Some are on the extreme end of the spectrum and some give credit to almost everyone. The three articles given in “H111, 07: The Historiographical Debate over the End of the Cold War” all have different views to who and why the Cold War ended. When studying these articles, one must realize that they used different sources to conclude their ideas. If they all used the same sources, all…

The Soviet Union under Leonid Brezhnev was very different place than the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev. While these leader faced similar problems, their methods of repairing the Soviet Union differed greatly. While Gorbachev was open to change Brezhnev was very conservative and unwilling to reform. Brezhnev remained in power for eighteen year, but its was Gorbachev that completely changed the landscape of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union under both Gorbachev and Brezhnev faced…

famous March 8, 1983 speech. President Reagan described the Cold War as a “struggle between right and wrong, good and evil,” demonstrating his belief that the conflict between the West and the Soviet Union was a moral conflict. Two weeks later, on March 23, 1983, President Reagan delivered his address to the nation, stating his plan to develop a missile-defense system called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), or “Star Wars.” The SDI project imagined a shield in outer space to defend…

The Influence of Gorbachev and Reagan on the Fall of Communism and the End of the Cold War The collapse of the Soviet empire in 1991 was a complex historical event, influenced by multiple leaders and movements. This essay will look at the influences of the Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev and the American president Ronald Reagan. The importance and influence of the two on the fall of Communism is still a debated topic. A short overview of the ideas that academics have about the duo will be…

and violence in the world today, why does a person only seem to show interest or concern when it is in some way relatable to them? After Afghanistan was bombed by America, the Northern Alliance entered Afghanistan, yet the Taliban were nowhere to be found. Nobody in the rest of the world, up until this point, knew anything about what was truly going on in Afghanistan. Suddenly with use of technology and increase of involvement, everyone knew and Afghanistan's problems became a topic of normal…

be perceived through the historical lens. The novel depicts the Soviet Union’s and the Taliban’s invasion of Afghanistan. In “The Kite Runner” the Soviet Union’s and the Taliban’s invasion of Afghanistan can be perceived through the historical lens. In 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan and “suddenly Afghanistan changed forever.” (pg 37) With death, struggle and poverty, Afghanistan is no longer considered a peaceful country. This is reflected by Hosseini in the novel, and helps to…

1980 Winter Olympics helped shift public opinion of the United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics conflict in the Cold War and aided the United States in international clashes and relations at the time like the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Soviet-Afghan War. As the 1980 Winter Olympics approached, events like the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the Soviet-Afghan War made United States citizens want to burn american flags instead of wave them as those events placed an enormous burden on…

Almost 30 years ago one of the most powerful speeches towards the progression of freedom was given. It took place in west Berlin when former president Ronald Reagan made his famous “Tear Down This Wall” speech. The speech, though not hostile, was a speech directed towards the leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan wanted freedom and good to prosper in a country in which it was not allowed. Thus the message of his speech was that even in the worst of situations freedom and equality…