Soviet History S19 Comments

Hey Ajmal, I enjoyed the reading the post. Just so I am understanding your argument, the invasion and elongated involvement in Afghanistan is what ensured the fall of the Soviet Union. I like the quotes you use to communicate how impossible the task of conquering or puppeting Afghanistan was. I find it ironic the reversal of feudal ways, the political awakening of the masses, and revolution/counterrevolution in Afghanistan reminds me of the Bolshevik Revolution of the Soviet Union.

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Sorry for the confusion, I see your point connecting my image to my post more. And I have an answer for you! It was small stations and railway lines like this one outside Murmansk that connected the USSR’s major resource hubs. These railways transported soldiers in WWII, moved the lumber, coal, and metals that factories utilized, and spread the ideas of the USSR’s varying cultures. The image gives a visual to much larger concepts that made the USSR able to function.

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Dr. Nelson, thank you for the comment and that is a very important question. Geography has a much larger affect on economics and transportation than people give credit. Geography dictates transportation routes; it is imperative that the cheapest routes be built because straight lines can be incredibly expensive when traversing lakes, mountains, unable ground, dense forests, etc. Transportation routes are a key way to connect economic hubs, project political power (It’s how the US kept control of the West & how the Bolsheviks squashed the White and Green armies).

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Hi, Carolyn, great question and I would say “no.” People watch movies to enjoy a good story, and the movie has plenty of strong characters, sarcastic remarks, romance, and epic battles that covers the government’s intent to glorify its revolution. Comparatively in America, look at “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson. It is a fun movie and story to watch, but it also glorifies the current government’s origins.

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Ajmal, thank you for your comment. It is important to analyze Soviet intent with Babrak. And it is also important to understand the limitations of the Afghan political revolution that led to Russian intervention because I speculate that if Afghanistan’s political climate had been more stable the USSR would have intervened economically and politically (to have an ally help with the issues the USSR had) instead of militarily. I appreciate your input as it add a lot to this post!

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This is quite an interesting story, and shows corruption can be found anywhere. I think this highlights some of the politicking and corruption that went on in the Soviet Union. Some of these stories are ridiculous and one can barely believe they really…

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