6. How were the Soviets defeated in Afghanistan?

Unit Outline

STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

Despite significant scientific and technical innovations in warfare, conflicts are still determined by basic military principles

GLOBAL CONTEXT

Scientific and Technical Innovation (Opportunity, risk, consequences and responsibility) - Students will explore the natural world and its laws; the interaction between people and the natural world; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs.

KEY CONCEPT

Significance - Significance is a concept of a different nature as it is more clearly related to the craft of the discipline. It refers to the quality of having great value taking into account the historical context. Historical context is the political, social, cultural, and economic setting for a particular idea or event. In order to better understand something from history, we must look at its context—those things that surround it in time and place and that give it its meaning or value. In this way, we can gain, among other things, a sense of how unique or ordinary an event or idea seems to be in comparison to other events and ideas.

RELATED HISTORY CONCEPT(S)

Continuity - While historical study often focuses on moments of significant change, students should also be aware that some change is slow, and that throughout history there is also significant continuity. Students can demonstrate deep historical knowledge and understanding by, for example, showing awareness that there are times when there has been considerable continuity in the midst of great historical change. Alternatively, students may question and assess whether a change in political leadership, for example, brought about a change in foreign policy, or whether it was more accurately mirroring policies of previous governments.

1. Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?

President Reagan's presentation of the USSR as an 'evil empire' that invaded innocent Afghanistan perhaps masks the nuances of the situation. The USSR faced the threat of civil war and Islamic insurgency on its southern borders. What could or should the USSR have done?