State in southwestern Asia, in the Middle East.
Territory - 655 thousand sq. km.
Population - 15.54 million (1979 census), mainly Afghans (Pashtuns) —about 55%, as well as Tajiks, Uzbeks, Khazars, Charaymaks, Turkmens, etc. Almost 3 million people lead a nomadic lifestyle.
The capital is Kabul (about 850 thousand inhabitants.).
The official languages are Pashto and Dari.
The overwhelming majority of the population is Sunni Muslim.
The first centralized state on the territory of Afghanistan - the Durrani state - was formed in the middle of the 18th century. For almost a century after this, the British colonialists tried to subjugate the Afghan state, unleashing the wars of 1838-42 against it. and 1878-80, but each time they met courageous resistance from the people. And yet the enslaving treaties of 1879 and 1893, England managed to establish control over the country's foreign policy and seriously slow down the socio-economic and political development of Afghanistan.
In response to the proclamation of independence by Afghanistan on November 28, 1919, Britain unleashed a third war against it. A decisive rebuff to the invaders from the Afghan people forced England to sign on 8 August 1919 a preliminary peace treaty, according to which she recognized the independence of the Afghan state (19, VIII the treaty was ratified by the Afghan side). However, the final peace treaty with Afghanistan was signed by Britain only in November 1921. Since 1978, by a decree of the Revolutionary Council of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the Day of Restoration of Independence is annually celebrated on August 19.
The first country, which already on March 27, 1919, responding to the call of the Afghan government, recognized the independence of Afghanistan, and on May 27, 1919 established diplomatic relations with it, was the young Soviet Republic. On November 28, 1921, the Soviet-Afghan Treaty of Friendship was signed in Kabul - the first equal treaty of Afghanistan with a great power. The signing of the treaty was actually the first step towards the official recognition of Afghanistan by other countries. 24.VI 1931 Afghanistan and the USSR signed the Treaty of Neutrality and Mutual Non-Aggression. Both treaties laid the foundations for friendship and good neighborliness between the two countries and peoples.
As a result of the armed coup on July 17, 1973, the monarchy was ended in Afghanistan, and the country was declared a republic. However, the government, headed by M. Daud, a close relative of the abdicated king, was actually pursuing the old, monarchist political course. The prohibition in the country of the activities of progressive democratic organizations, repression against their leadership, a sharp exacerbation of the class struggle - all this led to the national democratic revolution on June 27, 1978.
The revolution was led and carried out by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) - the party of the working class and all working people of the country. The Revolutionary Council, which came to power, on June 30, 1978, proclaimed the country the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) and announced the formation of the first people's government. The new government has embarked on deep socio-economic transformations in the interests of the working masses; in foreign policy, it has proclaimed a course of non-alignment and the development of good-neighborly relations with all countries of the region.
The USSR was the first to recognize the DRA. In December 1978, an official friendly visit to the USSR of the DRA party and government delegation took place , during which the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation was signed, reflecting a qualitatively new stage in the traditional good relations between the two countries.
Measures aimed at eliminating feudal and pre-feudal relations, democratizing public life are taking place in Afghanistan in difficult conditions. The policy of the DRA government meets with fierce resistance from the overthrown classes. Internal reaction, which took refuge in Pakistan and some other countries, launched fierce hostile activities with the aim of overthrowing the people's government. In this it is actively supported by international imperialism led by the United States, China and their allies from among the reactionary regimes in the Near and Middle East. Armed foreign interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan is, in essence, aggression against a sovereign independent state.
The complexity of the situation in the country was aggravated by the policy of Amin, who in September 1979, having overthrown and physically annihilated the legitimate leader of the PDPA and the state, N.M. Taraki, usurped power and launched a campaign of terror and repression in the country. On his instructions, thousands of innocent people were killed or thrown into prisons - party activists and representatives of all strata of the working people.
Amin's policies, supported by international reaction, endangered the freedom, independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. On December 27, 1979, Amin's regime was overthrown by patriotic dreams and the people's army of the DRA. The new government was headed by Abrak Karmal. In response to repeated requests from the DRA government, the Soviet Union, fulfilling its international duty, sent a limited contingent of troops into Afghanistan to assist the Afghan people in repelling armed aggression from outside. This action was undertaken in full accordance with paragraph 51 of the UN Charter and paragraph 4 of the Soviet-Afghan Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, concluded in December 1978.
After the liquidation of the Amin regime in the country, a new stage of the April Revolution began, the main content of which is the rallying of the people on the path of carrying out revolutionary tasks.
As a result of the defeat of large bands of counter-revolution and in the conditions of gradual normalization of life in the country, the USSR, in agreement with the government of the DRA in June 1980, withdrew some units from the Soviet military contingent in Afghanistan.
In April 1980, the Revolutionary Council put into effect the Basic Principles of the DRA for the period before the adoption of the republic's constitution in the country. In accordance with these principles, state power in the DRA belongs to the working people of the city and countryside. It relies on a broad national patriotic front that unites workers, peasants, artisans, nomads, intellectuals, women, youth, representatives of all nationalities and tribes, all progressive, democratic and patriotic forces and socio-political organizations of the country, Citizens of the DRA are provided and guaranteed the inviolability of the person , the right to work, social security, education. The principles of peaceful coexistence and positive non-alignment have been declared the basis of foreign policy.
The DRA pursues a course of expanding and strengthening friendship and traditional cooperation with the USSR and other countries of the socialist community on the basis of the principles of international solidarity, strives to maintain friendly relations with other countries, especially with neighboring countries, and with all Muslim organizations and peoples on the basis of mutual respect, independence , national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
The supreme body of state power is the Supreme Council of the DRA (Loya Jirga). Prior to its formation, the highest state body was the Revolutionary Council. The head of state is the chairman of the Revolutionary Council, who is also the prime minister (since December 28, 1979 - Babrak Karmal).
The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) is the vanguard of the working class and all the working people of the country, the leading and guiding force of society and the state. It was created in January 1965. In April 1980, a new party charter was adopted. The PDPA is leading the struggle of all the peoples of Afghanistan to create a new just society, free from the exploitation of man by man. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the PDPA - Babrak Karmal.
The Democratic Youth Organization of Afghanistan is in operation. The Democratic Organization of Women of Afghanistan. For the first time in history, trade unions have been created in the country.
In accordance with the "Main Directions of Revolutionary Tasks" announced on 9 May 1978, deep socio-economic transformations have been carried out in Afghanistan. More than 11 million peasants were freed from debt to usurers and landlords. The Law on Family and Marriage gave women equal rights with men. Freedom of religion proclaimed. A land reform is being carried out, which has established the maximum size of land ownership at 30 jeribs (6 hectares). About 300 thousand peasant families, primarily landless and land-poor, have already received the right to free ownership of their own plots of land. Up to 1,000 agricultural cooperatives have been established in the country. Measures are being taken to eliminate illiteracy and raise the general educational level of the population. Teaching in schools has been introduced, newspapers are published and radio broadcasting is conducted in the languages of national minorities.
The new five-year plan for the country's economic and social development, which entered into force in March 1979, provides for a radical restructuring of the entire material and technical base, a significant expansion and strengthening of the public sector, and the organization of economic management based on scientific planning.
The basis of the economy is agriculture (it employs 85% of the working-age population and creates about 2/3 of the GNP). The leading industry is animal husbandry. Livestock (1978/79, million heads): cattle - 3.7, sheep - 19.1, including Karakul - 4.7, goats - 3.0, horses and mules - 0, 4. Grain production in 1978/79 was about 4.4 million tons. The main industries — gas, coal, oil, printing, electricity, woodworking, chemicals, and others — are concentrated primarily in the public sector. The branches of light industry, as well as handicraft trades, are in the hands of private entrepreneurs.
With the economic and technical assistance of the USSR , over 70 are being built in the DRA and more than 50 facilities are being operated in the field of industry, agriculture and irrigation, transport, communications, health care, higher education, vocational training, etc. The main mode of transport is road, length highways - 8.3 thousand km (1978). Railway length tracks - 5.5 km.
Under the new five-year plan, significant allocations are made to road construction. The monetary unit is Afghani. 100 Afghani = 1.44 rubles. (February 1980).
Development of export items - dry fruits, cotton, natural gas, carpets, karakul, etc .; imports - petroleum products, machinery and equipment, rental, building materials, etc.
The government outlines measures to improve the level of the people's well-being. Over the five-year period, it is planned to provide free universal compulsory primary education, to almost double the number of hospital beds and medical centers.
