![]() (For the definition of polar powers, see Israeli 2019.) They can easily dictate the political outcomes of wars and conflicts fought against adversaries located either within their sphere of influence or lacking any geostrategic importance to their peer/s. Polar powers-which are the strongest great powers within a world system such that their number defines the polarity of the system-can behave aggressively by launching wars against smaller adversaries. The questions this study addresses are fundamental and illustrate one of the most challenging paradoxes of our time. H ow was it that the S oviet U nion, O ne of the two superpowers operating during the Cold War era’s bipolar system, was forced to withdraw from Afghanistan? Did the Soviets have any option other than returning to the political status quo ante at the end of the war? Should this outcome have been expected and predicted, or did it occur by mere chance or coincidence? Was this outcome a result of the distribution of capabilities between the belligerent sides, or rather a result of forces positioned beyond the combat zone?
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