Cuban intervention in Angola
The sudden collapse of the Portuguese empire in 1974 did not end the conflict in Angola. Agostinho Neto’s MPLA government faced internal opposition from Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA. Savimbi was supported by South Africa, which secretly invaded Angola in 1975, and – intermittently – by the United States. The Soviet Union provided assistance to Neto’s regime, but it was Cuban troops which held the frontline against Pretoria’s forces. In this class, we will look at the motives for and consequences of these various interventions into a conflict which brought together the global Cold War with the aftermath of Portuguese decolonisation, the liberation of Namibia, and the fate of apartheid South Africa.
Guiding questions
- Why did the USA and the Soviet Union intervene in Angola, 1974-75?
- South Africa and Cuba acted proxies of the superpower in Angola. Discuss
- How decisive was the Cuban intervention for the ultimate success of the MPLA in Angola?
(https://youtu.be/TcfWf4kE31s)
[Article] Piero Gleijeses - Moscow’s Proxy Cuba and Africa 1975–1988.pdf
CNN Cold War - Angola.mp4
Cuban intervention in Angola.pptx
Starter - the Cuban Missile Crisis recall activity.docx