Soviet war in Afghanistan

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/soviet-war-in-afghanistan

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the invasion date?December 27, 1979
2. What is the withdrawal date?February 15, 1989
3. Why did the Soviet Union send its army into Afghanistan in 1979?The Soviet Union was worried that the Afghan government was unstable and that enemies might take over, so they sent soldiers to try to keep the friendly government in power.
4. How did the Afghan mountains make it hard for the Soviet army to win?The mountains and deserts were very steep and wide, so the Afghan fighters could hide in caves and attack from hidden places, making it hard for the big Soviet army to find and stop them.

Brezhnev Doctrine: A Soviet policy asserting the right to intervene in socialist countries to preserve communism.
Counterinsurgency: Military operations against rebel or insurgent forces, often involving complex political and social dimensions.
Geopolitical: Relating to politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors.