Developments in Africa and the Americans

• Cold war in the 3rd world:

  • Angola 1975
  • Ethiopia 1977
  • Chile 1973
  • Grenada 1983
  • Nicaragua 1979
• Context of African conflict and international involvement

  • African decolonisation occurred during the 1960s - 70s which created power vaccuums with competition between different parties and ethnic groups exacerbated by pre - existing border tensions
  • Cuba, US, China and USSR used aid packages, technical assistance and even military countries into their liberation movements to draw African countries into their spheres of influences
  • Each country had their own motivations for this, including Cuba who sent more troops overseas than the USSR or PRC
• Developments in Africa and the Americans - Conflict in 3rd world

  Africa (role of Cuba)

  • Angola (War of Independence: 1961 - 75, Civil war 75 - 02)
  • Ethiopia (Ogaden war 1977 - 78)

  Caribbean and Latin America (role of USA)

  • Chile (Coup against Allende 1970 - 73)
  • Nicaragua (Revolution in 79 US support for Contras 1980 - 90)
• History of Angola

  Jan 1975 Alvor Accords

  In preparation for full independence an interim coalition government of 3 liberation movements was set up and elections were set for 11/11/1975 (but the accords were not stuck to)
• Interim government

  Resistance movement: MPLA Popular movement for the Liberation of Angola (1956)

  Ideology: Marxist

  Leader: Agostinho Neto

  Countries supporting them pre - independence: Soviet Union

  Countries supporting them post - independence: Soviet Union and Cuba
• Interim government

  Resistance movement: FNLA National liberation for the Liberation of Angola (1962)

  Ideology: First left wing then Nationalist centre right

  Leader: Holden Roberto

  Countries supporting them pre - independence: China

  Countries supporting them post - independence: USA and South Africa
• Interim government

  Resistance movement: UNITA National Unions for the Total independence of Angola (1966)

  Ideology: Maoist

  Leader: Jonas Savimbi

  Countries supporting them pre - independence: China

  Countries supporting post - independence: USA and South Africa
• Civil war broke out in Spring 1975

  1975, as the Portuguese withdraw each of the three liberation movements declared themselves the official government and formed their separate capital cities

  MPLA: Luanda

  UNITA: Humabo

  FNLA: Ambriz
• Angola (Cuba got supported by MPLA)

  Motivations and overall policy: Supported Marxist struggle in the form of anti - imperialist, Marxist guerilla groups

  Nature of support: Forces defended Luanda 1976: 12,000 troops helped MPLA achieve victory

  Kept 52,000 troops in country and 1000's of infrastructure, health and education experts

  Impact of international relations: Developed good relations with USSR. 1976 signed 20 year Treaty of Friendship. Continued to support/protect PRA under Neto from coups
• Angola (China was supported by FNLA first briefly MPLA then UNITA)

  Motivations and overall policy: Antagonise the USSR and assist international communist liberation movements

  Nature of support: 1974, 120 military advisors

  Impact of their international relations: Worsened relations with USSR
• Angola (USSR was supported by MPLA)

  Motivations and overall policy

  • Ensure China do not gain at the USSR's expense especially in regards to seeming to support national liberation movements and international communism
  • Considered the US and Chinese to be acting together (Kissinger ''parallel goals'' but not ''coordinated'') to gain influence in developing nations
  • USSR considered their action to be in the spirit of detente as they had a legitimate right to assist ''peoples fighting for their liberation''
  • Wanted to undermine China and the US
• Angola (USSR supported by MPLA)

  Nature of support: Aided by the MPLA

  Impact on their international relations: Pro - Soviet Alves coup worsened relations with PRA as did their detente with the USA
• Angola (USA supported by FNLA and then UNITA)

  Motivations and overall policy

  • Wanted to undermine MPLA efforts
  • USA aware FNLA not likely to win didn't want another Vietnam
  • Considerations over international reaction and proxy war seemed to throw detente into Question
  • Not vital to US economic and strategic interests
  • Little difference between factions and leftists' Why the FNLA?
  • Because the USSR are backing the MPLA
  • Concerned about being involved with apartheid S. Africa
  • USA had been beaten to the punch by the USSR
• Angola (USA supported by FNLA and then UNITA)

  Nature of support: $300,000 cover funding and 1975: $25 mil and $16 mil in arms

  Impact on their international relations: Wider implications for detente as it showed proxy wars would still continue. US convinced that the USSR was using Cuban forces as a proxy
• Angola (S. Africa supported by FNLA and UNITA)

  Motivations and overall policy: Fearful that, if they MPLA would work with the ANC to undermine apartheid
• Angola (S. Africa supported FNLA and UNITA)

  Motivations and overall policy: Fearful that, if they MPLA would work with the ANC to undermine apartheid

  Nature of support: Sent forces assault on Lunada

  Impact of their international relations: Ostracised by the USA tensions with Angola
• Results of the civil war - Angola

  • First victory of MPLA (Soviet/Cuba) in March 1979 who proclaimed the creation of People's Republic of Angola (PRA in November 1975)
  • Feb 1979, PRA in government was internationally recognised as the official government of Angola through the organisation of African unity/CIAU
  • President Neto suppresses an attempted coup with the help of Cuban who continue to assist
  • Civil war rages an until 2002. 26 years of conflict
• Ethiopia (Ogaden war 1977 - 78)

  Conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia between 1977 to 1978. Over the Ogaden
• Ethiopia (Ogaden) war 1977 - 78

  1948: British awarded the traditionally Somali territory of Ogaden to Ethiopia

  1974: Ethiopian Colonel Halle Mariam, a marxist leninist overthrows emperor Halle Selassie and establishes a dictatorship

  July 1977: Somalia invades Ogaden region and Mariam appeals to USSR and Cuba for aid
• Ethiopia (Ogaden) war 1977 - 78

  • USSR had been backing Somlia but switched sides as did the United states to Somali in response/Cuba and troops
  • Feb 1978: 15,000 Cuban troops in Ethiopia working with the USSR
  • March: The war ended when Somali forces retreated back across the border and was declared
• Ethiopia (Ogaden) war 1977 - 78

  • The USA accused Moscow of using Cuba to expand and USA (Cuban reapproachment improved relations)
• Latin America = Commonly used to describe South America, central America, Mexico and the Islands of the Caribbean

  Grenada in the Caribbean
• Caribbean and Latin America

  Monroe doctrine = All the Americans were sphere of influence and buffer zones
• 40 Committee = Set up in 1970 by Nixon's administration. Initiative and plan covert operations and were deemed to be in the USA's national interest
• Chile - The Coup

  • Allende's policies - included nationalism of Chile's copper mines, agricultural land and banking
  • USA persuaded the world bank not to lend Chile money and withdrew its own aid
• Chile - The Coup

  • Inflation and unemployment spiralled farming stagrated and strikes escalated (CIA influenced) leading to riots
  • Chile's military seized power on the 11th September 1973 (CIA backed)
• Chile - The coup

  • Allende refused to resign + committed suicide (confirmed by autopsy in 2011)
  • A regressive military junta, led by General Augusto Pinochet, ruled China until 1990s, during which 1000s were executed and 1000s more tortured
  • Represented a willingness by the US to back the Anti - Communist
• Grenada: Background

  • Grenada gain independence from the British in 1974
  • 1979, a leftist group called the New Jewel Movement seized power in Grenada and suspended the constitution and banned other parties
• Grenada: Background

  • Leader, Maurice Bishop, was an admirer of Fidel Castro but relatively moderate on foreign policy
  • 1983, Bishop is killed by more hard line 'Coard faction' (named after Bernard Coard was overthrown after 3 days)
• Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury (1983)

  • Under the premise of protecting US medical students 7,000 US troops invaded Grenada with little resistance and easily recaptured the land (8 days)
• Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury (1983)

  Internationally condemned:

  • US General Assembly vote of 108 to 9 to condemn it as 'a figrant violation of international law but US used veto power to stop resolution
  • Grenada denounced it as 'dangerous' and abandoned arms control talks in Grenada
  • Even Thatcher resented not being consulted
• Nicaragua: Background

  • US supported (economically and politically) this dynasty of the Somaza family dictatorship
  • Due to economic hardships, corruption and poor relief aid after a major earthquake many joined the 'Sandinista National Liberation Front (SNLF)
• Nicaragua: Background

  • Sandinistas take power in 1979, which Carter initially supporting, hoping to fostering democracy and turning them away from Moscow
  • Reagan was convinced the FSLM was joining with Cuba and supporting Marxist revolutionary movements through Latin America
• Nicaragua: Background

  • His administration authorised CIA to begin financing, arming and training rebels, known as contras (Counterevolutionaires, old business and military)
• Nicaragua: Controversies

  • Avoid congressional restriction of aiding the contras. Reagan persuaded Taiwan and Israel to fund them instead
  • Iran - Contra affair: Senior officials, ignoring an army embargo, sold arms to Iran and used their profits to fund black market arms for the contras (illegally)
  • CIA mining of harbours was deemed against international law by the international court of justice but US refused to pay reparations
• Nicaragua: Controversies

  The contras were unpopular and unsuccessful

  • Destroyed the cotton and coffee crops, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals
  • Committed astrocities
  • Used US funding for personal gain
  • US actions were unpopular and Latin America countries resentful