Comparative analysis of the Soviet and the US objectives and experiences of military intervention in Afghanistan

Abstract

There is a spread opinion that the Soviet and the US interventions in Afghanistan are extremely alike in terms of their causes, means and effects. Though we can draw a few parallels between these two instances of intervention, there are also significant differences that need to be pointed out. The following essay will discuss the differences of goals and objectives the two intervening states had, the respective political context and response of international community, the nature of the actual intervention operations along with a brief discussion of distinct military realities of the two cases.