- 1. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which began on December 24, 1979, marked a significant turning point in Cold War geopolitics and was characterized by its complex interplay of local, regional, and global tensions. The Soviets aimed to support the Marxist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which had seized power in a coup in 1978 but soon faced fierce resistance from various Afghan factions, including the Mujahideen, who opposed the communist regime. The invasion led to a decade-long conflict that saw the Soviet military engage in intense guerrilla warfare against the insurgents, who were bolstered by support from various countries, including the United States, Pakistan, and Iran. The brutal tactics employed by the Soviet forces, such as aerial bombardments and land offensives, resulted in massive civilian casualties and displacement. Internationally, the invasion was condemned, leading to a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics and increasing tensions between the U.S. and the USSR. The war became a quagmire for the Soviet Union, draining its resources and contributing to a decline in public support for the Communist Party. By February 1989, the Soviet forces withdrew, leaving behind a ravaged country, and setting the stage for continued civil unrest and the eventual rise of the Taliban in the 1990s. This conflict not only had profound implications for Afghanistan but also set the foundation for future U.S. involvement in the region, particularly in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001.
When did the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan take place?
A) 1991
B) 1979
C) 1985
D) 1967
- 2. Which country invaded Afghanistan in 1979?
A) United States
B) China
C) Soviet Union
D) United Kingdom
- 3. What was the name of the operation launched by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan?
A) Operation Desert Storm
B) Operation Red Dawn
C) Operation Storm-333
D) Operation Enduring Freedom
- 4. Which country was often referred to as the 'leading' Western provider of aid to the mujahideen?
A) France
B) United States
C) Germany
D) United Kingdom
- 5. Who was the President of the United States during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
A) George H. W. Bush
B) Bill Clinton
C) Jimmy Carter
D) Ronald Reagan
- 6. What was the approximate duration of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan?
A) 23 years
B) 15 years
C) 3 years
D) 9 years
- 7. How did the United States provide aid to the mujahideen in Afghanistan?
A) Through diplomatic negotiations
B) Through public protests
C) Through economic sanctions
D) Through covert operations and weapons supply
- 8. Who famously referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as the 'Vietnam of the Soviet Union'?
A) Ronald Reagan
B) Zbigniew Brzezinski
C) George Kennan
D) Henry Kissinger
- 9. What was the code name of the covert operation led by the CIA to support the mujahideen?
A) Operation Cyclone
B) Operation Rolling Thunder
C) Operation Eagle Claw
D) Operation Urgent Fury
- 10. Which Afghan leader sought assistance from the Soviet Union prior to the invasion?
A) Abdul Rashid Dostum
B) Ahmad Shah Massoud
C) Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
D) Hafizullah Amin
- 11. What term is often used to describe the period following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan?
A) Golden Age
B) Reconstruction Period
C) Stability Era
D) Civil War
- 12. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the invasion of Afghanistan?
A) Leonid Brezhnev
B) Joseph Stalin
C) Vladimir Putin
D) Mikhail Gorbachev
- 13. Who became the leader of the Soviet Union after Leonid Brezhnev's death?
A) Yuri Andropov
B) Dmitry Medvedev
C) Boris Yeltsin
D) Nikita Khrushchev
- 14. Which country was the first to officially recognize the Afghan mujahideen as a legitimate government?
A) Pakistan
B) Iran
C) Saudi Arabia
D) United States
- 15. Which Afghan resistance group was supported by the United States during the Soviet invasion?
A) Taliban
B) Mujahideen
C) Hizb-i Islami
D) Al-Qaeda
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