Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast Episode 56 - Soviet Afghan War 2: Operation Storm 333
Jun 24, 2019
The chaos of the Soviet-Afghan War intensifies with the assassination of a leader and the rise of a new despotic ruler. Delve into the intricacies of Soviet intervention, including the divide within their ranks and the role of the KGB. Explore the bizarre preparations for Operation Storm 333, highlighted by unexpected chaos, friendly fire, and the brutal final moments for Hafizullah Amin. The power struggle continues as Babrak Karmal is installed amid a smoking palace, setting the stage for further miscalculations and prolonged conflict.
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Shadow Policymaking Drove The Invasion
- Soviet leadership hid key decisions from Brezhnev and bypassed normal channels to plan the intervention in Afghanistan.
- This created a shadow decision process that sent 80,000 troops with little real oversight.
Experienced Generals Foretold Disaster
- Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov warned the Politburo that Afghanistan would become a prolonged, politically damaging insurgency.
- His military realism was ignored by ideologues confident a short policing action would suffice.
Advisers Became Trojan Horses
- The Soviets embedded advisers and thousands of Muslim-patterned troops to protect Amin, then used that access to map palace security.
- Those same plans and placements enabled the KGB and Spetsnaz to carry out Operation Storm 333.
