In military jargon, a SNAFU is an acronym which stands for “Systems Normal: All F***ed Up.” This acronym perfectly sums up the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, for several reasons. But how did the entire situation come about?
As described by the Seventeen Moments module, the invasion was prompted by a sort of “domino-esque” executions of Afghani leadership. At the time of the invasion, which began on December 25, 1979, the leader of Afghanistan had executed his predecessor, who had executed his predecessor(http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1980-2/invasion-of-afghanistan/). I know it’s a little confusing, but bare with me.
Hafizullah Amin, brief leader of Afghanistan
The first leader to be ousted in this murderous timeline, Nur Mohammad Taraki, was executed by Hafizullah Amin, whose background is important to this timeline. Amin was a reformist and member of the Democratic party within Afghanistan. So, naturally, the Russians weren’t thrilled when he took over. Adding to their distrust of Amin, he was a nationalist, and supported improving relations with Pakistan and the US(https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hafizullah-Amin).
Babrak Karmal, took over after Amin’s death
In steps Babrak Karmal, installed by the Russians after the disposal of Amin, who was to restore order in the already tumultuous environment that was Afghanistan at the time. Karmal had the task of trying to make peace with the mujahideen, or Islamic freedom fighters who were not happy with the previous regime’s attempts at secularization and reform. This didn’t go well, and after US support and armament, they became a real force to be reckoned with(https://www.britannica.com/biography/Babrak-Karmal).
Soviet troops in Afghanistan, armed with modern era equipment
On to the war. The Russian’s didn’t really like to think of the whole thing as an invasion; they preferred the phrase, “exertion of fraternal aid”(http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1980-2/invasion-of-afghanistan/). The war was a complete disaster. The guerrilla fighters opposing the Soviets had the home field advantage, not to mention help from Western powers which included modern era fighting equipment. They used the mountainous terrain which they knew extremely well, as well as their fancy new equipment to keep the Soviets at bay for ten grueling years. The Soviets poured money and manpower into a losing war, and at the end of the day it cost them dearly. Tens of thousands of young Soviet men never came home after having been drafted into service, and the money diverted from the civilian economy into the war effort only made the economic situation at home worse than it already was(http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1980-2/invasion-of-afghanistan/).
Mujahideen Islamic freedom fighters, in the hills of Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan is comparable to the US intervention in Vietnam. Public support was extremely low, as the public watched young men off to fight a war they had no business being in. After ten long years, the Soviets withdrew. Foreign relations with the Western world were severely hurt as a result, and all the efforts of détente from Brezhnev’s government were seen as fallacy. The growing dissident movement didn’t help either, along with the failing economy(http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1980-2/invasion-of-afghanistan/)(Freeze Ch. 13).
All this put together made the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan into the SNAFU that I mentioned earlier. It is also a great example of how economic, cultural, and political developments were all interconnected during this time period. A poor decision made by the Brezhnev regime on the international level, growing dissent at home, and a failing domestic economy all made for a terrible war for both sides. Not to mention the fact that it would go on to fuel a similar conflict pitting the West against an enemy it had hand fashioned for itself.
за Родину! - For the Motherland! 
