The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused an international uproar. Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in December 1979 to support the country's communist government and replace leader Hafizullah Amin with the more Soviet-aligned Babrak Karmal.
The intervention became part of the Soviet–Afghan War, which lasted until the final Soviet withdrawal in February 1989. Afghan resistance fighters, commonly called the mujahideen, opposed the occupation, receiving substantial assistance from countries including the United States, Pakistan, China, and Saudi Arabia.
The invasion sharply worsened Cold War tensions. The United States condemned the action, imposed economic measures, boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and increased support for Afghan resistance groups. The conflict also caused enormous civilian suffering, with millions of Afghans killed, displaced, or forced to become refugees.
A common mix-up is confusing the 1979 Soviet invasion with the later U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. They were separate conflicts involving different governments, alliances, and historical circumstances.