Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)

Formation In July 1973, while King Mohammad Zahir Shah, the reigning Afghan monarch at the time, was in Italy undergoing eye surgery as well as therapy for lumbago, his cousin and brother-in-law, General Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan, the former prime minister, staged a ''coup d'état in Kabul. This coup'' overthrew the Kingdom of Afghanistan and established the Republic of Afghanistan in its place, which was a single-party state. General Daoud had been forced to resign as prime minister by King Zahir a decade earlier. Single party rule After seizing power, Daoud Khan, who had himself proclaimed as the first President of Afghanistan, established his own political party, the National Revolutionary Party. This party became the sole focus of political activity in the country. In 1974, the new flag of Afghanistan was introduced, as well its emblem, with a flag raising ceremony being held outside of the Arg presidential palace. In January 1977, a loya jirga was convened following the Constitutional Assembly election, and approved a new constitution establishing a presidential one-party state, with political opposition being suppressed, sometimes violently. In 1976, President Daoud established a seven-year economic plan for the country. He started military training programs with India and Egypt, commenced economic development talks with Iran. Daoud also turned his attention to oil rich Middle Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait among others for financial assistance. On April 27, troops from the military base at Kabul International Airport started to move towards the center of the capital. It took only 24 hours to consolidate power, with the rapid push including an air raid on the Arg (the Presidential palace), and insurgent army units quickly seized critical institutions and communication lines. The deposed Daoud and most of his family were executed the following day. Nur Muhammad Taraki, General Secretary of the PDPA, was proclaimed Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council and effectively succeeded Mohammed Daoud Khan as head of state. He simultaneously became head of government of the newly established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. == Politics ==

Daoud Khan pursued the policy of bi-tarafi, meaning "without sides", during the Cold War. He sought investments from the Soviet Union and the United States. Secularists supported Daoud as he was in favour of letting the Islamic veil (and more specifically the purdah) remain optional for Afghan women, however, extremists would harass women who chose not to veil themselves, even resorting to throwing acid on exposed legs. After Daoud Khan's other visit in August 1976, relations between the two countries improved and transit trade benefited significantly, with India's surplus crop being allowed to be transported over land from India to Afghanistan. Consequently, both Bhutto and Daoud were close to reaching an agreement on the recognition of the Durand Line in return for Pakistan granting autonomy to the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan. This did not come to fruition due to Zia ul-Haq’s military coup in June 1977 which ended Bhutto’s government, and Daoud being killed a year after during the Saur Revolution in April 1978. == Military ==

A few days after the coup, the former Royal Afghan Army under Zahir Shah was now being referred to as the Afghan Republican Army under Daoud Khan in The Kabul Times newspaper. A 1973 United States Department of State report stated that there was a problem of allegiances within the Afghan military, describing the issue: “The population in general regards the armed forces as an instrument of government, rather than an organisation of citizens in service of the nation. The individual normally respects authority, but this respect is shown first and foremost to his own tribal chief or head of family”. By the end of the 1970s, the Afghan Air Force had over 180 aircraft, consisting of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighters, Sukhoi Su-7BM strike fighters and Ilyushin Il-28 bombers. Daoud Khan made intensive efforts to cultivate closer military ties to India as a means to avoid total reliance on Soviet training and supply. By November 1974, Afghanistan began a massive military build-up along the Durand Line, with a promise of more Soviet military support including infantry gear, radar systems, 1,170 tanks (such as the T-62, T-54, and T-55, and bridge-laying tanks), over 6,000 pieces of artillery (including 500 each of SAM-7 and SAM-2 missiles), transport vehicles, infantry equipment, radars, 40 MiG-21s and 40 MiG-17 aircraft, and 50 combat helicopters. 270 officers departed for training in the Soviet Union, while another 250 were sent to India. Under Daoud, the Afghan Republican Army additionally grew in size, from 13 infantry divisions to 16. Each of the 3 army corps were reinforced with a mechanised brigade and tank battalion. Along the Jalalabad–Khyber Pass front, the Afghan Republican Army's presence was strengthened. Previously, there had only been one mountain brigade and a single infantry division, until they were reinforced with an infantry division that had its own tank battalion, along with an additional mountain brigade, two more tank battalions, and an infantry brigade. This was in the efforts to form a “Jalalabad Corps”, planned to consist of two infantry divisions, one of them a mountain division, and an armoured division consisting of three tank battalions. In the Gardez–Matun area facing Bannu, the Afghan Army were also reinforced. A tank battalion and an armoured brigade were added to a sector that already contained two infantry divisions and one mountain brigade. In the province of Kandahar, the 7th Armoured Division was reorganised, with two tank battalions being removed and three new tank battalions taking their place with new armour. A mechanised brigade, artillery brigade, an anti-aircraft brigade, and another mountain brigade were added to forces of the 2nd Army Corps in Kandahar which already consisted of an infantry division, an armoured division, and a mountain brigade. Kandahar Airfield was activated and fully operational, hosting two squadrons of MiG-17 aircraft. == Education ==

Daoud Khan heavily focused on education and women's rights during his reign. His government opened many schools and by the time of the Saur Revolution, 1 million Afghan students were enrolled in school, many whom were girls. == References ==