The overthrow of the Afghan monarchy was a watershed moment in the country's history and in U.S. policy in Central Asia. Daoud Khan's return to power in 1979 and the subsequent rise of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan - a Communist party backed by Soviet-trained military officers-created an unstable political and military environment. As a result, the United States struggled to decide whether to pursue a containment strategy or an overthrow strategy. Ultimately, President Richard Nixon concluded that the U.S. could not respond to every instance of Communist expansion.
