The power of religion has always been important in Afghanistan, however, what is less known is that there was a red regime that believed in Marxism-Leninism in Afghanistan's history. In the period from 1978 to 1992, a regime called the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan ruled the country. However, the regime eventually declined, and its last president even suffered severe abuse, which shocked the international community. Below, we'll explore this history and understand the story behind it.
First, in 1973, a coup d'état broke out in Afghanistan, King Zahir was deposed, and former Prime Minister Daoud established the Republic of Afghanistan and became president. However, the political situation in Afghanistan has not stabilized. During this period, the Soviet-backed People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan grew and on April 27, 1978, a military coup d'état was launched to establish the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, an event known as the April Revolution. The regime is led by Taraki, but internal strife continues. The "populaires" led by Taraki and Amin drove out the "banner faction" led by Karmal. A power struggle then breaks out between Taraki and Amin, which eventually emerges victorious and kills Taraki with his own hands. At the same time, a man named Najibullah was forced into exile in the Soviet Union, belonging to the "banner faction" of Karmal, who would later become the last president of Red Afghanistan.
Next, fearing that Amin would leave the socialist camp, the Soviets took military action, sending troops into Afghanistan on the one hand, and using special forces to get rid of him. With the support of the Soviet Union, Karmal became the supreme leader of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. At the same time, Najibullah, who had trained in the KGB of the USSR, returned to Afghanistan as the head of the Main Directorate of National Intelligence Services. Despite Soviet support, Karmal's rule did not improve the situation in Afghanistan and fell into chaos.
However, in 1986, at a meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, KGB Chairman Chebrikov supported his colleague Najibulla and was supported by Gorbachev. In the following years, Karmal was relieved of all his posts and went to the Soviet Union, and Najibullah became the leader of Afghanistan. After Najibullah came to power, he carried out a number of reforms and changed the name of the country to "Republic of Afghanistan".
However, under Najibullah's leadership, Afghanistan's plight has not improved, and the regime has fallen into internal and external difficulties. In 1989, Soviet troops completely withdrew from Afghanistan, and by early 1991, the Najibullah government controlled only 10% of the country's territory, mainly in large cities. Finally, on March 18, 1992, Najibullah expressed his willingness to hand over power, and the Red Afghan regime disappeared completely. Najibullah had planned to go into exile, but was unsuccessful and had to seek asylum at the United Nations office in Kabul. The situation in Afghanistan continued to be volatile until 1996, when the Taliban occupied Kabul. Najibullah was brutally treated in the streets, with his mouth stuffed with banknotes and his genitals cut off, then dragged by car until he was shot indiscriminately.
This history of the Red Afghan regime is a story of war, infighting, and external interference, and an important but little-known chapter in Afghan history.