Economic Development in Afghanistan during the Soviet Period, 1979-1989: Lessons Learned from the Soviet Experience in Afghanistan

This Technical Memorandum provides an overview of the major economic policies implemented in Afghanistan during the Soviet period, 1979-1989, and their results. Its objective is to inform the current NATO-ISAF engagement in Afghanistan about the importance of building the economic capacity of the state and the integration of the agricultural sector into the national economy. The research was done using both Russian- and English-language sources. The study shows that the main reasons behind the fall of the pro-Moscow regime in Kabul were not defeat on the battlefield nor military superiority of the resistance, but the regime's failure to achieve economic sustainability and its over-reliance on foreign aid.