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An Unsustainable Arrangement: The Collapse of the Republic of Afghanistan in 1992

Gibson, Joshua James
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429894687

Abstract Details

2015, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Slavic and East European Studies.
When the Soviet army withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, very few people believed that the Soviet-backed Republic of Afghanistan could last through the end of the decade. Instead, Mohammad Najibullah’s administration surprised the world as it firmly persisted against the mujahedin forces seeking to overthrow the Afghan government. Despite the international assumption that it would face a quick demise, the Afghan government endured through April 1992, when the mujahedin took full control of the country. Four years later, the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital of Kabul, forcibly extracting Najibullah from a United Nations compound and brutally assassinating him in the streets of Kabul. This study examines the main factors that contributed to the collapse of Afghanistan’s socialist government in 1992. In addition to the lingering effects of the decade-long Soviet intervention, several cultural and societal factors prevented the prolonged existence of a Soviet-style socialist republic in Afghanistan. Not only did these factors embolden opposition forces, but they also prevented the people of Afghanistan from embracing the ideologies of a socialist government. By examining these different elements, it is then possible to understand which factors played a more significant role in the downfall of the communist regime in Afghanistan. As the United States hopes to give Afghanistan more independence in the coming years, it is increasingly vital that policymakers possess a holistic view of why the Republic of Afghanistan failed in 1992. A proper understanding of this issue will help the new Afghan government to thrive as a sovereign entity. However, this is not a case where the simplest answer is best. By using a variety of sources to build upon existing research, it is possible to develop a more comprehensive view of the cultural, societal, and international situation in Afghanistan.
Jennifer Siegel (Advisor)
Morgan Liu (Committee Member)
Alam Payind (Committee Member)
79 p.
History; Near Eastern Studies; Russian History; Slavic Studies
Afghanistan; Najibullah; Democratic Republic of Afghanistan; Republic of Afghanistan

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Gibson, J. J. (2015). An Unsustainable Arrangement: The Collapse of the Republic of Afghanistan in 1992 [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429894687

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Gibson, Joshua. An Unsustainable Arrangement: The Collapse of the Republic of Afghanistan in 1992. 2015. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429894687.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Gibson, Joshua. "An Unsustainable Arrangement: The Collapse of the Republic of Afghanistan in 1992." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429894687

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1429894687
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.