The Stages of Armed Forces Formation: Unlearned Lessons of Afghanistan

Abstract

In this article, the author looks into the stages of formation of the military organization and the transformation of the armed forces’ role in the political system of the Afghan state from the moment the country gained independence to the present day. The goals that were assigned to the army by the leaders of Afghanistan at different periods of time, the degree of their implementation, as well as the methods of reformation and ideological motivation of the armed forces are analyzed. The interdependence between the formation of the armed forces of Afghanistan and the strengthening or weakening of statehood is examined. The issues of forming the national armed forces are studied in the context of three main stages in the development of the modern Afghan state, each of those determined the special role of the army as a political institution and at the same time reflected the impact of the military organization of the army on political development. The first period refers to the formation of the modern Afghan state starting from 1919, when the country gained independence as a result of the Third Anglo-Afghan War, and ending with the events of 1978 (the ‘Saur Revolution’). The second one represents the time spent in Afghanistan by a limited contingent of Soviet troops from 1979 to 1989, as well as the time the Marxist government was in power and introduced their reforms. The third period is marked by the destruction of previously established institutions under the influence of deepening civil conflict and the consequences of the US military operation ‘Enduring Freedom’ (2001–2014) and NATO-led ‘Resolute Support’ mission (2014–2021).