THE FATEFUL PEBBLE: AFGHANISTAN'S ROLE IN THE FALL OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE

A comprehensive analysis of the effects of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan & the ensuing war for Afghan independence on the Soviet Russian imperial system. The Soviet defeat in the Afghan war was one of the key factors in causing the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which was already beset with a myriad of economic, social & political problems. Provides unique perceptions of Russian & Afghan psychology, & a historical view of how military defeat had led to earlier Russian domestic upheavals. Describes how the Communist Party, the Soviet mil. establishment & the KGB had successfully defended Moscow s empire in the past.