Hello, my name's Mr. Williams and I'm going to be your history teacher today.

This lesson is part of a unit about the end of the Cold War and focuses on events from 1970 to 1991.

I'm really looking forward to teaching you today, so let's get started.

By the end of today's lesson, you will able to explain the causes and consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

There are five keywords essential to understanding today's lesson.

They are secular, non-religious.

Guerrilla, warfare that involves using surprise attacks and hit-and-run tactics to fight a larger, more traditional military force.

Islamic fundamentalism, a strict interpretation of Islam that emphasises a return to traditional beliefs and practises.

Economic sanction, a measure taken by one country to limit or stop trade with another country to pressure it to change its actions or policies.

And boycott, when people refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a way to protest or bring about change.

Today's lesson is split into three parts.

In the first part of our lesson, we'll be learning about how communists took power in Afghanistan in 1978.

On the 27th of April, 1978, the government in Afghanistan was overthrown by a communist group known as the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, the PDPA.

The leader of the PDPA, Nur Muhammad Taraki, became the prime minister of the newly-established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

Partly motivated by the fact that the two countries shared a border, Brezhnev the leader of the Soviet Union, was determined to ensure that there was a friendly communist government in Afghanistan.

As a result, Taraki's government received significant Soviet support from the beginning.

Let's take a moment to check your understanding.

In April, 1978, the PDPA took power in Afghanistan.

What does PDPA stand for? Is it A, the Popular Democratic Party of Afghanistan, B, The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, or C, the People's Development Party of Afghanistan? Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that it was B.

PDPA stands for the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan.

Let's do another quick check of your understanding.

The Soviet leader Brezhnev supported the PDPA's takeover of Afghanistan.

Is that true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was true, but let's see if we can justify the answer.

So, on the screen are two justifications.

A says Brezhnev wanted to ensure that Afghanistan was ruled by a friendly communist government, and B says Brezhnev wanted to make Afghanistan part of the Soviet Union.

Which of these justifications is correct? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said the correct justification was A, Brezhnev wanted to ensure that Afghanistan was ruled by a friendly communist government.

Under Taraki's leadership, the PDPA introduced a radical programme of reforms that aimed to turn Afghanistan into a communist state.

These reforms challenged the power of Afghanistan's traditional elites.

For example, land was taken from wealthy landowners without compensation and given to poor landless farmers.

The redistribution of land was intended to win the support of poorer Afghans.

However, there were high levels of corruption and it was often done without consideration for local customs and needs.

Consequently, many Afghans were given plots of poor-quality land that could not be farmed effectively, and this fueled anger towards the new government.

Let's do a check of your understanding.

Sofia has said, "The communist government of Afghanistan was unpopular with traditional elites, but its redistribution of land made it popular amongst ordinary Afghans." Sofia is incorrect.

I want you to briefly explain why.

Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, well done for your efforts on that task.

You were asked to explain why Sofia was incorrect, and your answer may have included the following.

Although the PDPA redistributed land to win the support of ordinary Afghans, this failed because there were high levels of corruption and the reforms were often introduced without properly considering local customs and needs.

Additionally, many people were given poor quality land that was unsuitable for farming.

Well done if you covered those points in your answer.

The PDPA also wanted to transform Afghanistan from a deeply religious Islamic society into a more secular society.

Therefore, the PDPA introduced reforms that limited the role of religious leaders in public life, closed madrasas, religious schools, and replaced religious laws with secular laws.

These reforms were extremely unpopular and many Afghans viewed the PDPA's policies as an attack on their Islamic faith and culture.

Alongside their reform programme, the PDPA persecuted Afghanistan's traditional elite, who they viewed as obstacles to their goal of transforming Afghanistan into a communist country.

In the first 18 months of PDPA rule, thousands of former government officials, wealthy landowners, and members of the Islamic religious establishment were imprisoned, tortured, murdered, or forced to leave the country.

Let's take a moment to check your understanding.

How did the communist government attempt to transform Afghanistan into a more secular society? I want you to aim to identify at least three ways.

Pause the video now, have a go at the question, and then press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, well done for your efforts on that question.

You were asked to identify at least three ways that the communist government attempted to transform Afghanistan into a more secular society, and you could've written the following.

One, they limited the role of religious leaders in public life.

Two, they closed madrasas.

Three, they replaced religious laws with secular laws.

Well done if you managed to identify those points.

We're now ready for the first practise task of today's lesson, and I want you to explain why the communist government in Afghanistan became so unpopular.

You should write one paragraph and you should aim to use the following words in your answer.

Reforms, traditional elites, ordinary Afghans, corruption, and secular.

Pause the video now, write your paragraph, and press play when you're ready to compare your work with a model answer.

Okay.

Welcome back.

Well done for your efforts on that first practise task.

You were asked to explain why the communist government in Afghanistan became so unpopular, and your answer may include, the communist government of Afghanistan became unpopular because the reforms they introduced challenged the power of the traditional elites but did not win the support of ordinary Afghans.

This was partly due to a high level of corruption.

Many Afghans were angry about the PDPA's attempts to turn Afghanistan into a secular society, which they viewed as an attack on their Islamic faith and culture.

Very well done if your answer includes the points that we've just covered in our model paragraph.

We're now ready to move to the second part of our lesson.

In the second part of our lesson, we'll be learning about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which took place in 1979.

In September, 1979, Taraki was overthrown and replaced as leader by his Deputy Prime Minister, Hafizullah Amin.

Amin continued the reforms introduced under Taraki and his government became even more unpopular.

Thousands of Afghan Muslims joined the Mujahideen, an Islamic guerilla movement, which aimed to replace Amin's communist government with an Islamic state governed by Sharia, Islamic religious law.

The Mujahideen declared a jihad, or Holy War, on Amin's government, and as they grew in strength, Amin became increasingly reliant on support from the USSR to stay in power.

Let's check your understanding.

The paragraph on the screen contains some mistakes and is incorrect.

I want you to identify and correct the mistakes, so pause the video now and press play when you're ready to go through the corrected paragraph.

Okay, well done for your efforts on that task.

The corrected paragraph should read as follows.

In September, 1979, Taraki's government was overthrown and he was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister, Hafizullah Amin.

Amin continued Taraki's reforms and his government became even more unpopular.

As a result, Amin's government became increasingly reliant on support from the Soviet Union to stay in power.

Well done if you managed to identify and correct all of those mistakes.

Let's do another quick check of your understanding.

Who are the mujahideen? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to go through a model response.

Okay, you were asked to answer the question, who are the mujahideen? And your answer may include the following.

The mujahideen were an Islamic guerilla movement that wanted to replace Afghanistan's communist government with an Islamic state that was governed by Sharia, Islamic religious laws.

Well done if you got that correct.

Brezhnev was concerned about the growing strength of Islamic fundamentalism, represented by the mujahideen.

In 1979, there were 30 million Muslims in the Soviet Union, which had always been a secular state.

Brezhnev believed that Islamic fundamentalism could spread and destabilise parts of the Soviet Union that had large Muslim populations.

This was one of the reasons he supported Amin and sent military equipment and advisors to Afghanistan.

Amin was concerned about becoming too dependent on Soviet support and he began talks with the USA about the possibility of American support instead.

When Brezhnev discovered that Amin had been talking to the Americans, he knew decisive action was necessary to maintain Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Brezhnev was concerned about the growing strength of Islamic fundamentalism.

Is that true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was true.

But as always, we need to be able to justify our answer.

So, on the screen are two justifications.

A says, although it was a secular state, there were 15 million Muslims in the USSR, and this could be a threat to communist control.

And B says, although it was a secular state, there were 30 million Muslims in the USSR, and this could be a threat to communist control.

Which of these justifications is correct? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, the correct answer is justification B.

Although it was a secular state, there were 30 million Muslims in the USSR and this could be a threat to communist control.

Well done if you got that correct.

Okay, let's do another quick check of your understanding and this time, I want you to discuss the question with a partner.

By the end of 1979, why had Brezhnev decided that decisive action was needed to maintain Soviet influence in Afghanistan? Pause the video, have a conversation with your partner, and press play when you're ready to go through a model response.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope that was a useful conversation.

You were asked to explain why by the end of 1979, Brezhnev had decided that decisive action was needed to maintain Soviet influence in Afghanistan, and your answer may have included the following.

Brezhnev decided he had to take decisive action to maintain Soviet influence because he learned that Amin, the leader of Afghanistan, had been speaking to the USA about securing American support to fight the mujahideen.

Well done if you covered those points in your conversation.

From the 24th of December, 1979 to the 1st of January, 1980, 50,000 Soviet troops crossed the border into Afghanistan.

Brezhnev said that they had been invited by Amin's government to restore order and fight the mujahideen.

On the 27th of December, 1979, Amin was shot, almost certainly by Soviet troops, and replaced by one of his rivals in the PDPA, the pro-Soviet Babrak Kamal.

From the outset, Kamal's government was entirely reliant on Soviet support to stay in power.

As many members of the Afghan army deserted to join the mujahideen, the initial Soviet invasion force increased to 85,000.

They would remain in Afghanistan, fighting the mujahideen, for the next 10 years.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

The events involved in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are on the screen, but they're in the incorrect order.

I want you to write them in the correct chronological order.

So pause the video, have a go at ordering the events, and then press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done for your hard work on that.

The correct order is as follows.

Hafizullah Amin overthrew Nur Muhammad Taraki's government.

Amin continued Taraki's unpopular reforms. There was an increase in support for the mujahideen.

Amin asked the USA for their help to support his government.

The USSR invaded Afghanistan.

Amin was shot, probably by Soviet forces, and then Amin was replaced by Babrak Kamal, who is very pro-Soviet.

Well done if you managed to put those events in the correct order.

We're now ready for the second practise task of today's lesson.

I'd like you to write an account that analyses the main events from April, 1978, to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

You should aim to write about three key events and may wish to write about the following.

The PDPA taking power in Afghanistan, the growth of the mujahideen movement, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Try to organise your answer in chronological order.

Pause the video now, have a go at the question, and press play when you're ready to go through model response.

Okay, very well done for all of your hard work on that second practise task.

You are asked to write a narrative account analysing the main events from April, 1978 to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Your answer may include, in April, 1978, the communist PDPA took power in Afghanistan and was supported by the USSR.

Firstly under the leadership of Taraki and then after September, 1979, under the leadership of Amin, the PDPA attempted to transform Afghanistan into a secular communist society.

This made the PDPA very unpopular because they were seen as corrupt and many ordinary Afghans believed their reforms were an attack on Islam.

This led to a rise in support for the mujahideen.

For your second paragraph, you might have written something like this.

Angered by the PDPA's reforms, thousands of Afghans joined the mujahideen, an Islamic guerrilla movement that aimed to overthrow the government of Hafizullah Amin and turn Afghanistan into an Islamic state.

Brezhnev was concerned about the spread of Islamic fundamentalism and the growth in the support for the mujahideen led him to send Soviet military equipment and advisors to Afghanistan, and this increased Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

Finally, you might have concluded your answer by writing something like this.

By the end of 1979, Amin's government was increasingly reliant on support from the USSR.

This concerned Amin, and so he opened talks with the US about the possibility of American support for his government.

As a consequence, Brezhnev became concerned about losing Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

This led Brezhnev to order a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on the 24th of December, which resulted in Amin being killed and replaced with the pro-Soviet Babrak Kamal.

Very well done for all of your efforts on that second practise task, and well done if your answer looks similar to the model answer that we've just gone through.

We're now ready to move on to the third and final part of our lesson, where we'll be learning about the American response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan dramatically increased tensions between the Soviet Union and the USA.

While the Soviet Union claimed that the invasion of Afghanistan was necessary to protect Soviet interests, the USA viewed it as an aggressive attempt to spread communism.

Furthermore, the USA was concerned that a Soviet-occupied Afghanistan would threaten India and Pakistan, and potentially even allow the USSR to take control of the Persian Gulf, which was the source of most of the West's oil supplies.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Why was the USA concerned about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? I want you to aim to identify at least three reasons.

Pause the video now, have a go at this question, and press play when you're ready to through a model response.

Okay, well done for your efforts on that question.

You were asked to identify at least three reasons why the USA was concerned about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and you could have written the following.

Number one, they viewed it as an aggressive attempt to spread communism.

Number two, they were concerned that a Soviet-controlled Afghanistan could threaten India and Pakistan.

And number three, they were worried that a Soviet-controlled Afghanistan could eventually threaten the West's oil supplies in the Persian Gulf.

Well done if you covered those points in your answer.

Jimmy Carter had become US president in 1979.

Later that year, American citizens working in the US embassy in Iran had been taken hostage by militant Islamic students.

This was a humiliation for the USA and Carter's failure to resolve the crisis and bring the hostages home caused some Americans to accuse him of weak leadership.

Carter was therefore determined to ensure that there was a strong American response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

In January, 1980, Carter gave a speech in which he declared that the USA would use military force if necessary to defend its interest in the Persian Gulf region and protect its oil supplies.

This became known as the Carter Doctrine.

Carter promised that the US would prevent further Soviet expansion by sending military aid to any country bordering Afghanistan.

To achieve this, he announced the creation of an American military force known as the Rapid Deployment Force, which could be sent at short notice to anywhere in the world.

He also authorised an increase in intelligence-gathering activity by the Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, and he introduced a law requiring 18 to 20-year-olds to register for military service so that they could be called up quickly in the event of a war.

In addition, Carter agreed that weapons and assistance would be given to the mujahideen fighting the Soviet army.

Finally, Carter delayed the SALT II Treaty, which had been intended to slow the arms race with the Soviet Union and instead, he increased military spending.

Let's check your understanding.

What was the Carter Doctrine? Pause the video now, answer the question, and press play when you're ready to go through a model response.

Okay, you were asked what the Carter doctrine was, and your answer may include, the Carter Doctrine was a commitment made by the American President, Jimmy Carter, that the USA would use military force if necessary to defend their in the Persian Gulf region and protect their oil supplies.

Well done if your answer looks similar to the one on the screen.

Let's do another quick check of your understanding.

I want you to discuss this question with a partner.

After the introduction of the Carter Doctrine, what actions did Carter take to ensure that the USA were prepared to stop Soviet expansion? I want you to aim to identify at least three points.

Pause the video now, talk to your partner, and press play when you're ready to go through a model response.

Okay, I hope that was a useful discussion.

You were asked to identify three actions that Carter took to ensure that the USA were prepared to resist further Soviet expansion.

And your answer could have included, number one, Carter created the Rapid Deployment Force.

Number two, 18 to 20-year-olds were required to register for military service.

Number three, Carter authorised an increase in CIA intelligence-gathering activities.

And number four, military spending was increased.

Well done if you covered those points in your discussion.

As well as the military measures, Carter announced economic sanctions against the Soviet Union.

The USA cancelled all exports of grain to the USSR and American companies were banned from selling them advanced technology, including computers and oil-drilling equipment.

Finally, in response to the Soviet invasion, the USA led a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games, which were held in Moscow.

As the Olympic games were an incredibly popular global event, the Soviets had hoped to use them to promote communism to a huge television audience.

The USA had a huge influence and 60 countries supported their boycott.

As a result, the Moscow Olympics were severely undermined and the USSR was deprived of showcasing communism on the world stage.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, what economic sanctions did the USA introduce against the USSR? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, so you were asked what economic sanctions the USA introduced against the USSR following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

And your answer may include, the USA cancelled all exports of grain to the Soviet Union and American companies were banned from selling them advanced technology, including computers and oil-drilling equipment.

Well done if your answer covered those points.

Let's do another quick check.

How many countries supported the American-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics? Was it A, 40, B, 50, C, 60, or D, 70? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you selected C.

The answer is 60.

60 countries supported the American-led boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games.

We're now ready for the final practise task of today's lesson.

I would like you to explain two consequences of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

You should identify two consequences and then write one paragraph per consequence to explain each one.

Pause the video now, have a go at the question, and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work on that final practise task.

You were asked to explain two consequences of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and for your first paragraph, you could have written something like this.

One consequence of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was it increased tensions with the USA.

President Jimmy Carter responded to the invasion with the Carter Doctrine in January, 1980, and committed the USA to using military force to defend its interest in the Persian Gulf if necessary.

As a result, the USA created the Rapid Deployment Force, increased the intelligence-gathering activities of the CIA, and made 18 to 20-year-olds register for military service.

The USA also began arming the mujahideen, delayed signing the SALT II treaty with USSR, and introduced economic sanctions against the USSR.

Well done if you wrote a paragraph that looks similar to the one on the screen.

For your second paragraph, you could have written something like this.

Another consequence of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was that it led to a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The USSR had been hoping to use the Moscow Olympics to promote communism to a huge television audience.

However, the American boycott was supported by 60 countries.

This meant that the Moscow Olympics were significantly undermined, along with the USSR's attempts to showcase communism on the world stage.

This further increased tension between the USA and the USSR.

Brilliant effort on that final practise task and well done if you've written an answer that looks similar to the one that we've just gone through.

We're at the end of our lesson now, so it's a good opportunity for us to stop and just reflect on our key learning points.

In 1978, the communist group called the PDPA took power in Afghanistan and governed with Soviet support.

The reforms introduced by the PDPA to transform Afghanistan into a secular communist society were very unpopular, and an Islamic guerrilla movement, the mujahideen, declared war on the government.

Brezhnev was concerned about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and in December, 1979, the USSR invaded Afghanistan to stop the mujahedin from overthrowing the communist government.

The Soviet invasion increased tensions with the USA, and Carter responded by introducing the Carter Doctrine.

The USA also introduced economic sanctions and led a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games.

Well done for all of your hard work today.

It's been a real pleasure teaching you.

I hope you've enjoyed the lesson and I look forward to teaching you again soon.