Part 10/11:
Aftermath and the Legacy of the Conflict
The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, but the withdrawal did not bring peace to the region. The subsequent collapse of the PDPA-led government in 1992 under the pressure of mujahedin forces marked the onset of a new phase of violence and civil strife, ultimately paving the way for the rise of the Taliban in the late 1990s.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan exemplified the challenges faced by foreign powers in instigating regime change and the complexities of engaging in warfare with deeply rooted cultural identities. The conflict served as a precursor to future entanglements, notably the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, underscoring the lessons learned from this transformative yet tragic episode in global history.