Angola in the Cold War
Location:
● Southern Africa
● Bordered by Namibia, Zambia
Why Cold War impacts Africa:
● Competition over spheres of influence
● Containment/spreading of communism/more territory
● Africa newly independent and in state of development and needed aid in the form of
money and military – colonial powers didn’t build up and prepare countries to fend
for themselves (exploitation of resources)
● Civil wars/border disputes due to different ethnic groups gave superpowers
opportunity to support one side
● Proxy wars=superpowers get involved when the war is not in their territory because
they are actually against each other (e.g. Russia and America)
● Africa rich in raw materials and resources that were useful to the powers
● Brinkmanship
Colonised by the Portuguese: (about 400 years)
● Initial interest in west coast (Delagoa Bay) because of the slave trade
● 1885 – colonial borders established at Treaty of Berlin
● 1951 – becomes overseas province of Portugal
● While other countries becoming independent, Portugal strengthens its control on
Angola
● Adopted Portuguese language and culture (Africans called assimilados meaning
assimilated)
● 1961 – Peasants (in the North) rebelled and boycotted cotton production. They
wanted better working conditions and freedom. They were angry over loss of land.
● Liberation struggle began
● Formation of 3 liberation organisations:
● 1. MPLA – Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
● 2. FNLA – the National Front for the Liberation of Angola
● 3. UNITA – the National Union for the total Independence of Angola
● Civil war between these 3 groups
● 1975 – after a coup (Carnation Revolution) in Portugal where army officers wanted to
end the pointless wars in Africa and overthrew the dictator Antonio Salazar, Avor
Agreement declares Angola (and Mozambique) as independent
● Portuguese withdrawal resulted in the white minority regimes in South Africa and
Rhodesia would no longer protect themselves from the other African countries
(Angola had acted as a buffer)
● Portuguese withdrawal gave hope to black population that change was possible
● Independent Angola resulted in ANC being able to establish bases closer to SA
● Portuguese leave in a rush and don’t assign leadership to any political party leaving a
complicated situation
, ● 1975 - begin fighting for control of Luanda (capital city)
● MPLA unwilling to share power with UNITA
● UNITA and FNLA set up rival government in Huambo (make their own capital city) –
receive support from SA government (in Namibia) and USA (CIA)
● MPLA drive out others with support and aid from Cuba and USSR
● Declare themselves first government of independent Angola
● Neto becomes the first president of independent Angola
● Angola becomes ideological battleground between USA and USSR because of its
strategic position and immense wealth in natural resources (agriculture) as well as its
established infrastructure
MPLA:
● Formed 1956
● Agostinho Neto
● First political group to seek independence
● Members mainly from Kimbundu ethnic group
● Members from North (Luanda), central, coastal regions
● Attracted to communism
● Aided by the USSR and Congo
● Castro had beliefs that Cuba had a moral obligation (international revolution) to
spread ideologies revolution to third world countries
● Controlled Angola’s main source of income (Cabinda oil wells)
FNLA
● Support from Bakongo people in North-west
● Holden Roberts
● Closely related to and friendly with its neighbour – the Congo (Mobutu)
● Links with USA and China because they both wanted to counteract soviet support for
MPLA
● Assistance from USA
● Covert CIA involvement
UNITA
● Youngest of the movements
● Jonas Savimbi
● Seen as anti-communist party
● Close relations to Mao and China
● Members of Ovimbundu ethnicity from the south
● Ties with Mobutu from Zaire/Congo
● Support from USA
● Support the South African apartheid government and receives support from them
● Alliance exists because UNITA and Apartheid government have the same enemy and
same interest in defeating MPLA
● Apartheid government in Angola to train and support UNITA troops
● They don’t want communism (Rooi Gevaar)
Location:
● Southern Africa
● Bordered by Namibia, Zambia
Why Cold War impacts Africa:
● Competition over spheres of influence
● Containment/spreading of communism/more territory
● Africa newly independent and in state of development and needed aid in the form of
money and military – colonial powers didn’t build up and prepare countries to fend
for themselves (exploitation of resources)
● Civil wars/border disputes due to different ethnic groups gave superpowers
opportunity to support one side
● Proxy wars=superpowers get involved when the war is not in their territory because
they are actually against each other (e.g. Russia and America)
● Africa rich in raw materials and resources that were useful to the powers
● Brinkmanship
Colonised by the Portuguese: (about 400 years)
● Initial interest in west coast (Delagoa Bay) because of the slave trade
● 1885 – colonial borders established at Treaty of Berlin
● 1951 – becomes overseas province of Portugal
● While other countries becoming independent, Portugal strengthens its control on
Angola
● Adopted Portuguese language and culture (Africans called assimilados meaning
assimilated)
● 1961 – Peasants (in the North) rebelled and boycotted cotton production. They
wanted better working conditions and freedom. They were angry over loss of land.
● Liberation struggle began
● Formation of 3 liberation organisations:
● 1. MPLA – Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
● 2. FNLA – the National Front for the Liberation of Angola
● 3. UNITA – the National Union for the total Independence of Angola
● Civil war between these 3 groups
● 1975 – after a coup (Carnation Revolution) in Portugal where army officers wanted to
end the pointless wars in Africa and overthrew the dictator Antonio Salazar, Avor
Agreement declares Angola (and Mozambique) as independent
● Portuguese withdrawal resulted in the white minority regimes in South Africa and
Rhodesia would no longer protect themselves from the other African countries
(Angola had acted as a buffer)
● Portuguese withdrawal gave hope to black population that change was possible
● Independent Angola resulted in ANC being able to establish bases closer to SA
● Portuguese leave in a rush and don’t assign leadership to any political party leaving a
complicated situation
, ● 1975 - begin fighting for control of Luanda (capital city)
● MPLA unwilling to share power with UNITA
● UNITA and FNLA set up rival government in Huambo (make their own capital city) –
receive support from SA government (in Namibia) and USA (CIA)
● MPLA drive out others with support and aid from Cuba and USSR
● Declare themselves first government of independent Angola
● Neto becomes the first president of independent Angola
● Angola becomes ideological battleground between USA and USSR because of its
strategic position and immense wealth in natural resources (agriculture) as well as its
established infrastructure
MPLA:
● Formed 1956
● Agostinho Neto
● First political group to seek independence
● Members mainly from Kimbundu ethnic group
● Members from North (Luanda), central, coastal regions
● Attracted to communism
● Aided by the USSR and Congo
● Castro had beliefs that Cuba had a moral obligation (international revolution) to
spread ideologies revolution to third world countries
● Controlled Angola’s main source of income (Cabinda oil wells)
FNLA
● Support from Bakongo people in North-west
● Holden Roberts
● Closely related to and friendly with its neighbour – the Congo (Mobutu)
● Links with USA and China because they both wanted to counteract soviet support for
MPLA
● Assistance from USA
● Covert CIA involvement
UNITA
● Youngest of the movements
● Jonas Savimbi
● Seen as anti-communist party
● Close relations to Mao and China
● Members of Ovimbundu ethnicity from the south
● Ties with Mobutu from Zaire/Congo
● Support from USA
● Support the South African apartheid government and receives support from them
● Alliance exists because UNITA and Apartheid government have the same enemy and
same interest in defeating MPLA
● Apartheid government in Angola to train and support UNITA troops
● They don’t want communism (Rooi Gevaar)
