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The Soviet experience in Afghanistan provides a compelling perspective on the far-reaching hazards of military intervention. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev decided that a withdrawal from Afghanistan should occur as soon as possible. The Soviet Union's senior leadership had become aware that their strategy was unraveling, their operational and tactical methods were not working, and the sacrifices they were demanding from the Soviet people and military were unlikely to produce the forecasted results. Despite this state of affairs, operations in Afghanistan persisted and four more years passed before the Soviets finally withdrew their military forces. In No Miracles, Michael Fenzel explains why and how that happened, as viewed from the center of the Soviet state. From that perspective, three sources of failure stand out: poor civil-military relations, repeated and rapid turnover of Soviet leadership, and the perception that Soviet global prestige and influence were inexorably tied to the success of the Afghan mission. Fenzel enumerates the series of misperceptions and misjudgments that led to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, tracing the hazards of their military intervention and occupation. Ultimately, he offers a cautionary tale to nation states and policymakers considering military intervention and the use of force.

civil-military relations. --- politburo. --- political decision-making. --- soviet union. --- soviet war in Afghanistan. --- soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. --- POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International). --- T͡SK KPSS. --- T︠S︡K KPSS. --- T︠S︡K KPSS --- Kommunisticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ Sovetskogo Soi︠u︡za. --- Politbi︠u︡ro T︠S︡.K. K.P.S.S. --- Politbi︠u︡ro T︠S︡K KPSS --- Politburo (T︠S︡K KPSS) --- ЦК КПСС. --- Decision making. --- Afghanistan --- Soviet Union --- Советский Союз --- Ber. ha-M. --- Zwia̦zek Socjalistycznych Republik Radzieckich --- Szovjetunió --- TSRS --- Tarybų Socialistinių Respublikų Sąjunga --- SRSR --- Soi︠u︡z Radi︠a︡nsʹkykh Sot︠s︡ialistychnykh Respublik --- SSSR --- Soi︠u︡z Sovetskikh Sot︠s︡ialisticheskikh Respublik --- UdSSR --- Shūravī --- Ittiḥād-i Jamāhīr-i Ishtirākīyah-i Shūrāʼīyah --- Russia (1923- U.S.S.R.) --- Sovetskiy Soyuz --- Soyuz SSR --- Sovetskiĭ Soi︠u︡z --- Soi︠u︡z SSR --- Uni Sovjet --- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics --- USSR --- SSṚM --- Sovetakan Sotsʻialistakan Ṛespublikaneri Miutʻyun --- SSHM --- Sovetakan Sotsʻialistakan Hanrapetutʻyunneri Miutʻyun --- URSS --- Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas --- Berit ha-Moʻatsot --- Rusyah --- Ittiḥād al-Sūfiyītī --- Rusiyah --- Rusland --- Soṿet-Rusland --- Uni Soviet --- Union soviétique --- Zȯvlȯlt Kholboot Uls --- Związek Radziecki --- ESSD --- Sahaphāp Sōwīat --- KhSHM --- SSR Kavširi --- Russland --- SNTL --- PSRS --- Su-lien --- Sobhieṭ Ẏuniẏana --- FSSR --- Unione Sovietica --- Ittiḥād-i Shūravī --- Soviyat Yūniyan --- Russian S.F.S.R. --- History --- Military policy --- Związek Socjalistycznych Republik Radzieckich --- ZSRR --- Związek Socjalistycznych Republik Sowieckich --- ZSRS