Event

Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan helped end the era of détente, intensified proxy conflict, and exposed the limits of Soviet power in the late Cold War.

Status: draft
Event Kind: invasion
Date Precision: day
Date Display: 24 Dec 1979
Start Date: 24 Dec 1979
End Date: 24 Dec 1979

What happened

Soviet forces entered Afghanistan to support a faltering allied regime, beginning a long war that drew in insurgent resistance and extensive foreign backing.

Why it matters

Afghanistan was one of the defining proxy conflicts of the late Cold War. It deepened superpower confrontation, weakened Soviet legitimacy, and became one of the major stress points of the Soviet system in its final decade.

Notes

Use this as the main renewed-confrontation anchor after détente.