Afghanistan

• In 1979, Marxists gained control of the government of Afghanistan. This resulted in a civil war insofar as Afghanistan was populated by many Muslim rebels that rejected Communism.

• As the rebels began to make progress against the government, the Marxist government called for the support of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, 1979.

• President Carter saw this invasion as a revival of the Cold War and contemplated his response.

DECISION: You are Jimmy Carter. How do you respond to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan?

Click here to see what action Carter took