72-CW-1250 SOVIET MOTINFANTRY IN AFGHANISTAN

VDV or WDW (Rus. Vozdushno-Diesantnyye troops) is initially Soviet, and now Russian airborne troops, which were formed in 1930 on the initiative of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Tukhachevsky - by the way, the same one who lost the Battle of Warsaw in August 1920. It can also be assumed that the Red Army was a pioneer in the creation of large airborne units on a European scale, quite clearly distancing other armies in this respect in the mid-1930s. For the first time, Soviet troops of this type were used in the fighting in Mongolia (against Japan) in 1939, but mainly as light infantry. VDW troops were also used during World War II, but they were not as successful as, for example, the Allied paratroopers during the Normandy landings in 1944. The real renaissance of VDV, however, took place after 1945, when the Soviet Army began to perceive in this type of armed forces its strategic retreat, and their great reformer and great commander was General Vasily Margiełow. It was, inter alia, on his initiative that in 1964 the WDW became a special type of armed force that was directly subordinated to the supreme command. It is worth adding that the WDW participated both in the operation in Hungary in 1956, in Czechoslovakia in 1968, and on a very large scale in Afghanistan (1979-1989). At the time of the collapse of the USSR, the VDV troops had as many as 7 divisions and 11 independent brigades! In 2016, however, the Russian airborne troops consisted of 4 divisions and 6 independent brigades.The war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, was fought in the years 1979-1989. The parties to the conflict were the Afghan communist government, supported on a large scale by the USSR, and partisan (mujahedin) troops who did not agree to Soviet intervention and far-reaching secularization and atheization of the state. The Mujahideen relatively quickly received extensive, albeit unofficial, aid from the United States. It is assumed that the Soviet side involved about 100-120 thousand people in the conflict at a time. people, while determining the number of mujahideen is very difficult - most often it is assumed, however, that they had numerical advantage over the Soviet troops. The immediate cause of the conflict was the USSR's desire to increase its role in Central Asia, and above all, to increase its influence in Afghanistan. Soviet troops fighting in this war were part of the so-called The Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces in Afghanistan, which was primarily made up of the forces of the 40th Army. It is worth adding that at the very beginning of the war, the Soviet army engaged about 81,000 in the conflict. people, approx. 2,400 armored vehicles (including tanks) and approx. 500 aircraft. Over time, these forces have grown significantly. The Afghan War was, like the Vietnam War, a classic example of guerrilla warfare, which, in addition, was fought in terrain definitely unfavorable to Soviet troops. Moreover, Soviet soldiers were ill-trained to lead such an asymmetric conflict. Also, the Soviet equipment and doctrine, designed for the full-scale conflict in Central and Western Europe, did not always work. Ultimately, the war ended with the defeat of the Soviet Union, which suffered a huge and prestigious defeat. It is also assumed that the war hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet army probably also lost about 65,000-70,000 wounded and killed.The war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, was fought in the years 1979-1989. The parties to the conflict were the Afghan communist government, supported on a large scale by the USSR, and partisan (mujahedin) troops who did not agree to Soviet intervention and far-reaching secularization and atheization of the state. The Mujahideen relatively quickly received extensive, albeit unofficial, aid from the United States. It is assumed that the Soviet side involved about 100-120 thousand people in the conflict at a time. people, while determining the number of mujahideen is very difficult - most often it is assumed, however, that they had numerical advantage over the Soviet troops. The immediate cause of the conflict was the USSR's desire to increase its role in Central Asia, and above all, to increase its influence in Afghanistan. Soviet troops fighting in this war were part of the so-called The Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces in Afghanistan, which was primarily made up of the forces of the 40th Army. It is worth adding that at the very beginning of the war, the Soviet army engaged about 81,000 in the conflict. people, approx. 2,400 armored vehicles (including tanks) and approx. 500 aircraft. Over time, these forces have grown significantly. The Afghan War was, like the Vietnam War, a classic example of guerrilla warfare, which, in addition, was fought in terrain definitely unfavorable to Soviet troops. Moreover, Soviet soldiers were ill-trained to lead such an asymmetric conflict. Also, the Soviet equipment and doctrine, designed for the full-scale conflict in Central and Western Europe, did not always work. Ultimately, the war ended with the defeat of the Soviet Union, which suffered a huge and prestigious defeat. It is also assumed that the war hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet army probably also lost about 65,000-70,000 wounded and killed.