Armenians' Participation in the Afghan War: Service and Combat Experience

The Afghan War and its impact on Soviet society brought about decisive transformations. This article examines the quantitative picture of military servicemen from Soviet Armenia who participated in the Afghan War, aiming to demonstrate the transfer and application of combat experience of Armenian servicemen who went through the Afghan War in the Artsakh War and their contribution to the process of formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. Through a combination of archival files, veterans' organizations, and online information, it has been established that around 4,000 servicemen (400 officers) from Soviet Armenia participated in the war, 86 compatriots were killed, and around 300 were wounded. The author reveals that the combat experience of veterans and the formation of organizational and combat brotherhood networks contributed to the formation of military detachments and the organization of combat operations in the Artsakh War and the defense of the homeland. Particularly emphasized is the circumstance that veteran officers made a decisive contribution not only to the formation of volunteer detachments but also to the formation and establishment of the national army. It is concluded that the use of combat experience of the Afghan War in the Artsakh War was not coincidental but a natural result of the transformation of "combat capital," under conditions when defense institutions and military structures were absent.