Afghanistan Table of Contents The PDPA was also never able to
rid itself of internal rivalries. Burdened by obvious evidence
that the Soviets oversaw its policies, actively dominated the
crucial sectors of its government, and literally ran the war,
the PDPA could not assert itself as a political force until
after the Soviets left. In the civil war period that followed,
it gained significant respect, but its internal disputes
worsened. Born divided, the PDPA suffered virtually continuous
conflict between its two major factions. The Soviets imposed a
public truce upon Parcham and Khalq, but the rivalry continued
with hostility and disagreement frequently rising to the
surface. Generally, Parcham enjoyed political dominance, while
Khalq could not be denied the leverage over the army held by its
senior officers. It was a marriage necessary for survival.
Social, linguistic, and regional origins and differing degrees
of Marxist radicalism had spurred factionalism from the
beginning. When Soviet forces invaded, ther