 The presidency of Taraki, albeit short-lived, was always marked by controversies. Taraki launched a land reform on 1 January 1979 which proved to be highly unpopular and, along with his government's other reforms, led to a popular backlash which initiated the Afghan civil war. Despite repeated attempts throughout his reign, Taraki proved unable to persuade the Soviet Union to intervene in support of the restoration of civil order.
