User:Im a Socialist! What Are You/Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
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The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) (Arabic: جمهورية أفغانستان) was a self-declared socialist state (but often referred to in the West as a "communist state") in the Middle East established by the Afghan communist party, People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) by then leader Nur Muhammad Taraki in 1978 in the Saur Revolution. From the start the republic ran into conflict with the local mujahideens which started what is known as the Afghan civil war. In 1979 the Soviet Union entered the country to help the communist government, they left however in 1989 after staying in the country in nine years.
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan جمهورية أفغانستان | |||||||||
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1978 - 1992 | |||||||||
Capital | Kabul | ||||||||
Common languages | Pashto | ||||||||
Religion | State atheism | ||||||||
Government | Socialist Republic, Single-party communist state | ||||||||
Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
• Established | 1978 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1992 | ||||||||
ISO 3166 code | AF | ||||||||
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After the Soviet withdrawal, the Republic of Afghanistan continued to deal with attacks from the Mujahideen. They received funding and arms from the Soviet Union until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. For several years the government army had actually increased their effectiveness past levels ever achieved during the Soviet military presence. But the government was dealt a major blow when Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leading general, switched allegiances to the Mujahideen in 1992 and together they captured the city of Kabul.