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Question no. 48476

When did Soviet troops cross into Afghanistan?

Select your answer for: When did Soviet troops cross into Afghanistan?
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Answer: D. 29th December 1979

Explanation

Soviet military forces crossed the international border into Afghanistan en masse. Armored columns and airborne troops deployed rapidly to secure key strategic urban centers. This decisive military intervention occurred at the very end of December 1979. The intervention aimed to prop up the embattled Afghan communist government against insurgent mujahideen fighters. Leonid Brezhnev authorized the deployment amidst fears of a hostile regime taking power in Central Asia. The prolonged military campaign subsequently triggered a massive insurgent resistance and severe international condemnation.

Superpower interventions in developing nations often lead to protracted proxy wars with devastating humanitarian consequences. The Cold War conflict in Central Asia severely strained diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow. Military historians study this invasion as a classic example of the limits of conventional power against insurgencies. Earlier December dates precede the massive troop movements recorded by international intelligence agencies. The exact day differs slightly in various secondary accounts, but late December is definitive. Choosing none of these would ignore the well-documented historical timeline of the invasion.

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