Early Rural Resistance — 1978 (Soviet-Afghan War)
This scenario reflects the period following the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan coup from 1 June to 28 June 1978. These dates are rough approximations.
Following the coup, the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan started to issues guidance on the way it would govern, including a decree on ethnic equality, emancipation for women and land redistribution as well as leading a revival of conservative Islam in Afghanistan.
However, in many rural areas there was resistance to that and combined with the efforts of agitators that spread false rumours about the new governments intentions, several Afghan political parties formed Jub Najat-e-Milli, the National Salvation Front on 1 June 1978.
Then, several resistance groups started attacking police and army posts in remote parts of the country and the National Salvation Front started to take control of remoter provinces. By early July 1978, the National Salvation Front declared that they had control of eight of Afghanistan’s provinces which started the debate over who controlled what.
This scenario reflects the early part of that effort in the north eastern part of Afghanistan around Badakhshan, Bamiyan, Kunar, Paktia and Nangeahar, or near enough. Other provinces not on this map were also taken.
It was noted that much of the regular Afghan army was based in the south along the Pakistan border and that in the regions that the National Salvation Front was targeting the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan had either very little police and military presence or in some areas none at all, making it very easy for the National Salvation Front to declare control.
There is probably not a lot of action in this scenario, but it provides a stepping stone in bridging that period of history from the Saur Revolution through to the formation of the National Salvation Front and then onwards.