Velika igra - Afganistan

The book The Great Game – Afghanistan by Mile Ostojić (published in 1987) presents a comprehensive military-political and geopolitical analysis of the war in Afghanistan during the eighth year of the Soviet military intervention. Through its title, the author draws a direct parallel with the historical "Great Game" of the 19th century—the struggle between the British and Russian Empires for supremacy in Central Asia—transposing that context to the Cold War era, in which Afghanistan once again found itself at the center of a global conflict between superpowers. The study provides a detailed breakdown of the causes of the 1979 Soviet invasion, the internal political turmoil and conflicts within the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, and the organization and tactical methods of the resistance movement (the mujahideen). Ostojić thoroughly analyzes the Red Army's military strategy, the geostrategic significance of the Afghan terrain, and the role of external factors—primarily the USA, Pakistan, and China. The work offers valuable historical insight into the period when the Soviet military engagement was turning into an exhausting stalemate, foreshadowing far-reaching geopolitical consequences for the stability of the entire region and the Soviet Union itself.