Foreign Military Aid
In addition to explicit wars, the Soviet military took part in a number of internal conflicts in various countries, as well as proxy wars between third countries as a means of advancing their strategic interests while avoiding direct conflict between the superpowers in the nuclear age (or, in the case of the Spanish Civil War, avoiding a direct conflict with Nazi Germany at a time when neither side was prepared for such a war). In many cases, involvement was in the form of military advisors as well as the sale or provision of weapons.
| Date | Benefactor |
|---|---|
| 1936-39 | Spain |
| 1933-34, 1937-39 | Republic of China |
| 1939 | Mongolia |
| 1945-49, 1950-53 | People's Republic of China |
| 1950-53 | North Korea |
| 1961-74 | North Vietnam |
| 1962-64 | Algeria |
| 1962-63, 1967-75 | Egypt |
| 1962-63, 1969-76 | Yemen |
| 1967, 1970, 1972-73, 1982 | Syria |
| 1975-79 | Angola |
| 1967-69, 1975-79 | Mozambique |
| 1977-79 | Ethiopia |
| 1960-70 | Laos |
| 1980-91 | Iraq |
| 1982 | Lebanon |
Read more about this topic: Military History Of The Soviet Union
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