Soviet counterinsurgency doctrine and strategy in Afghanistan: An operational assessment of the campaign

This dissertation analyzes the Soviet counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan within the framework of Soviet military thought, focusing on the means employed by the Soviets and the Afghan Government to raise the costs of the Afghan rebellion. These methods, which generally followed Soviet counterinsurgency doctrine, ranged from economic development to large-scale military offensives. The Soviet strategy went through three phases based on the major types of operations and tactics. The initial phase sought to physically occupy Afghanistan with the aim of dissuading continued resistance. The second phase sought to reduce the insurgent forces and their sources of supply through attrition. The final phase shifted to a more political approach, which sought to coopt the rebels. The reasons for the success and the failure of the Soviet counterinsurgency war are also discussed.