17 JUL--This Day in US Military History

2015-07-17T08:43:13-04:00

1973 – In Afghanistan Zahir Shah was on vacation in Europe, when his government was overthrown in a military coup headed by Daoud Khan.

King Mohammad Zahir Shah was in Italy undergoing eye surgery as well as therapy for lumbago, his cousin, Mohammad Daoud Khan, who 10 years earlier had been forced to resign as Afghanistan’s Prime Minister by King Zahir, staged the coup d’état and established a republican government. The king abdicated the following month rather than risk an all-out civil war.
After seizing power, President Mohammed Daoud Khan established his own political party, the National Revolutionary Party. This party became the sole focus of political activity in the country. The Loya jirga approved a new constitution establishing a presidential one party system of government in January 1977, with political opponents being violently persecuted.
During Daoud’s presidency, relations with the Soviet Union eventually deteriorated. They saw his shift to a more Western-friendly leadership as dangerous, including criticism of Cuba’s membership in the Non-aligned Movement and the expulsion of Soviet military and economic advisers. The suppression of political opposition furthermore turned the Soviet-backed People’s Democratic Party (PDPA), an important ally in the 1973 coup against the king, against him.
Daoud established a seven-year economic plan for the country. He started military training programs with India and commenced economic development talks with Imperial Iran. Daoud also turned his attention to oil rich Middle Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait among others for financial assistance.
By 1978, however, Daoud had achieved little of what he had set out to accomplish. The Afghan economy hadn’t made any real progress and the Afghan standard of living had not risen. Daoud had also garnered much criticism for his single party constitution in 1977 which alienated him from his political supporters.
By this time, the two main factions of the PDPA, previously locked in a power struggle, had reached a fragile agreement for reconciliation. Communist-sympathizing army officials were by then already planning a move against the government. According to Hafizullah Amin, who became Afghan head of state in 1979, the PDPA had started plotting the coup in 1976, two years before it materialized. The PDPA seized power in a military coup in 1978 which is best known as the Saur Revolution.

https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2005/07/17/july-17/

July 17

17 July 1801 - The U.S. fleet arrived in Tripoli after Pasha Yusuf Karamanli declared war for being refused tribute. 1821 - Spain ceded Florida to the United States. 1821 - Andrew Jackson became th...

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Jul 17 at 2015 8:45 AM

2015-07-17T08:45:51-04:00

Afghanistan, an easy land to march into, an impossible land to conquer.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Jul 17 at 2015 9:09 AM

2015-07-17T09:09:33-04:00

MSG Private RallyPoint Member The reality is who ever is in Kabul the claiming government and that is about all that can be controlled. Might as well change it to Major of Kabul...

Response by SGT Thomas Lucken made Jul 17 at 2015 10:00 AM

2015-07-17T10:00:05-04:00

This day 1989, my son John was born at 121st Evac Hospital, Seoul, Korea! A little Cavalry Trooper was born that day! Then 18 years later, he went Infantry!!!!!! Where did I fail as father??? :-) :-)