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Hafizullah Amin

Afghan communist revolutionary, politician and teacher (1929–1979)

AI overview

Hafizullah Amin was an Afghan communist leader who played a key role in the 1978 coup that brought a communist government to power in Afghanistan. His brief tenure as president in 1979 was marked by radical reforms and brutal repression, and his rule ended when Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan, killing him in the process.

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Key facts

Preceded by: Nur Muhammad Taraki
Succeeded by: Babrak Karmal
Prime minister: Nur Muhammad Taraki, Himself
Leader: Nur Muhammad Taraki, Himself
Born: ( 1929-08-01 ) 1 August 1929, Paghman , Afghanistan
Died: 27 December 1979 (1979-12-27) (aged 50), Tajbeg Palace , Kabul, Afghanistan
Cause of death: Assassination by Gunshot wound in the head by Soviet Spetsnaz during Operation Storm 333
Resting place: Tajbeg Palace Grounds
Party: People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan ( Khalq )
Spouse: Patmanah
Education: University of Wisconsin
Alma mater

Article

Hafizullah Amin (Dari/Pashto: حفيظ الله امين;‎ 1 August 1929 – 27 December 1979) was an Afghan revolutionary and communist head of state, who served in that position for a little over three months, from September 1979 until his assassination. He organized the Saur Revolution of 1978 and co-founded the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), ruling Afghanistan as General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party.

Born in the town of Paghman in Kabul Province, Amin studied at Kabul University and started his career as a teacher before he twice went to the United States to study. During this time, Amin became attracted to Marxism and became involved in radical student movements at the University of Wisconsin. Upon his return to Afghanistan, he used his teaching position to spread socialist ideologies to students, and he later joined the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), a new far-left organization co-founded by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Babrak Karmal. He ran as a candidate in the 1965 parliamentary election but failed to secure a seat, but in 1969 became the only Khalqist elected to parliament, increasing his standing within the party.