Sardar mohammad daud khan biography for kids
Why was mohammed daoud khan assassinated.
An April Day That Changed Afghanistan 1: Four decades after the leftist takeover
Share
Forty years ago, Afghanistan experienced its second military coup d’état within five years.
In the first one, authoritarian President Muhammad Daud had seized power in 1973 without much attention abroad and even little notice in Afghanistan – Daud was a sardar (prince) and seen as just another new king, although he proclaimed a republic.
It was the second coup, on 27 April 1978, that changed Afghanistan forever.
Zahir shah
The ‘Saur (April) Revolution’ toppled Daud and killed most of his family. Within 19 months, Soviet troops would invade to save the regime. The invasion, and the reaction of the West and regional powers, internationalised the conflict and turned into the last hot battle of the Cold War.
AAN’s co-director Thomas Ruttig looks back at the events and their background.
Tanks in front of the presidential palace on 28 April 1978, one day after the Saur coup. Photo: Cleric77, Wikipedia -