Withdrawal and Aftermath: Afghanistan

Abstract

The official Soviet announcement that they were willing to withdraw troops from Afghanistan came on February 8, 1988. Both Gorbachev and Najibullah called for progress in negotiations so that an agreement could be signed by March 15, 1988. In reality the Geneva Accords on Afghanistan were signed on April 14, 1988 a month later than the target day. Withdrawal was completed ten months later on February 15, 1989. During withdrawal Gorbachev continued to use television to legitimize his policy, placing it within the context of New Thinking and great power identity. These were balanced carefully, taking into account domestic political considerations. In addition, as in the American case of withdrawal from Vietnam, the Soviet leadership communicated a more sophisticated message to its superpower rival than it did to its own population and allies. The Soviets were also looking for a decent interval of calm before a likely Afghan collapse. After withdrawal was completed, television all but ignored the Soviet experience in Afghanistan and its effect on Soviet society.