General information
Part of Conflict: Afghanistan: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1978-04-27
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: PDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) launched a coup on 27 April 1978. They ousted President Mohammed Daud Khan, killed him and his associates and established a Revolutionary Council to govern Afghanistan. PDPA leader Nur Muhammad Taraki had left instructions to the organisation that “Should imperialism, reaction, or another group topple the Daud Regime, the Democratic People’s Party of Afghanistan should wrest the political power. In case the Daud regime launched an offensive to incarcerate me (Comrade Taraki) in order to weaken or destroy the party members, the latter should commence the revolution to topple the Daud Regime and wrest the political power.”
At 7 pm on 27 April, the first announcement about the coup was broadcasted, when Abdul Qadir Dagarwal, commander of the air force units, declared that “the power of the state fully rests with the Revolutionary Council of the armed forces”. When the coup was initiated, PDPA defined its policies as being "based on the foundation of the sacred Islamic religion and the ensuring of democracy, freedom, security of the individual and the progress and flourishing of Afghanistan" and as aimed at "pursuing a policy of active and positive neutrality" and "good-neighbourliness with all countries on the basis of peaceful co-existence and respect for the UN Charter".
Date of first use of armed force: 1978-04-27
Comment on date of first use of armed force: PPDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) launched a coup on 27 April 1978. The forces attacked the Presidential Palace with tanks, supported by bomb planes from Bagram airbase north of Kabul. Although the new Prime Minister Nur Muhammad Taraki claimed that only 72 people had died in the coup, most sources estimate that thousands of people lost their lives in the violence.
First Battle Related Death: 1978-04-27
Comment on First Battle Related Death: PDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) launched a coup on 27 April 1978. The forces attacked the Presidential Palace with tanks, supported by bomb planes from Bagram airbase north of Kabul. Although the new Prime Minister Nur Muhammad Taraki claimed that only 72 people had died in the coup, most sources estimate that thousands of people lost their lives in the violence.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1978-04-27
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: PDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) launched a coup on 27 April 1978. The forces attacked the Presidential Palace with tanks, supported by bomb planes from Bagram airbase north of Kabul. Although the new Prime Minister Nur Muhammad Taraki claimed that only 72 people had died in the coup, most sources estimate that thousands of people lost their lives in the violence.
Conflict issues
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1978
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1000 |
| Best | 1000 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Afghanistan): n/a
Side B (PDPA): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1978 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: PDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) had begun to plan a coup in 1977 and it is believed that the original plan was to launch the coup during the fall of 1978. However, due to some events in April 1978, the coup was launched earlier. On 17 April 1978, Mir Akbar Khaibar, a prominent PDPA leader, was assassinated in Kabul. Although it has never been established who killed him, PDPA charged President Mohammed Daud Khan’s Interior Minister, which led to massive demonstrations against Daud. The President, alarmed by the strength of PDPA, launched a crackdown against the party’s leadership and on 26 April, seven leaders of PDPA were arrested.
In response to the arrests, communist officers and PDPA launched a coup d’état on 27 April, called the Saur revolution after the Afghan lunar month of Saur (Taurus). Tanks, supported by bomb planes from Bagram airbase north of Kabul, attacked the army headquarters. In the afternoon, bomb planes started attacking the Presidential Palace and the President, several government officials, and most of the loyalist soldiers who defended them were killed. Radio Kabul was seized and information about the coup was broadcasted. The message reaching the population was “For the first time in the history of Afghanistan the last remnants of imperialist tyranny and despotism have been ended”. On 30 April the military commanders of the coup handed over power to the new Revolutionary Council headed by Nur Muhammad Taraki. Taraki, who was one of the PDPA leaders that had been arrested, was installed as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: YES
Victorious side: B
Comment on Victory: PDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) overthrew President Mohammed Daud Khan in a coup d’état on 27 April 1978. Daud and his associates were killed and a Revolutionary Council took control over the country. On 30 April Nur Muhammad Taraki was installed as the Prime Minister and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was proclaimed. The Soviet Union immediately recognised the new government and several countries, for example Cuba, Iraq, the Warsaw-pact member states, India and Pakistan, followed. UK recognised the new regime on 6 May, and France and the U.S declared on 7 May that they would maintain their diplomatic relations with the new government.
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Victory
Date of termination: 1978-04-28
Comment on Termination: PDPA (Hizb-i Demokrati-i Khalq-i Afghanistan, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) overthrew President Daud in a coup d’état on 27 April 1978. Daud and his associates were killed and a Revolutionary Council took control over the country. On 30 April Nur Muhammad Taraki was installed as the Prime Minister and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was proclaimed. The Soviet Union immediately recognised the new government and several countries, for example Cuba, Iraq, the Warsaw-pact member states, India and Pakistan, followed. UK recognised the new regime on 6 May, and France and the U.S declared on 7 May that they would maintain their diplomatic relations with the new government.
