Figure 1.-- This 1976 wire service photograph was captioned, "Too short for his britches: The over-length pants of hos battlkedress rolled up, an Angolan youngster carrying a mock weapon stands with his comopanions in Lunda, Angola, recently in ophoto from BTA, the officialBulgarian nes agency. According to BTA, photo shows tht education and training are one of the main cares of the MPLA and the Peolple's Republic od Angola."

A civil war erupted with independence. The MPLA emerged victorious and in control of most of the country, but unable to fefeat UNITA in the bush.Neto declared the MPLA a Marxist-Leninist vanguard party (1975). At the time, many Africans continued believe that Soviet-style communism was the route to rapid economic development. He and the MPLA faced a danting task. Most of the Portuguese settlers left Angola with the Portuguese Army. They ran most of the colonies productive enterpriess, businesses and commercial farms. They were also much of the educated middle class, including doctors, technicians, and teachers. Thus not only was the country's infrastructure destroyed in the war, but the country did not have a trained, educated population to run a modern economy. Neto showed some flexibility in the economic shere. He permitted private economic activity in commercial and small-scale industry. He also sought economic relations with Western states, a necesity as this is where the market was for Angolan oil and other mineral exports. Even wuith Cuban support, however, the MPLA was unable to destroy the UNITA guerilla insurgency. And the country was devestated by the prolonged war and MPLA economic policies. Neto died (1979). José Eduardo dos Santos, the new MPLA leader, inherited the same difficult economic difficulties that Neto faced. Little progress had been made. Much of the Government's income, mostly oil exports, were used up by the military costs associated with combating the the UNITA insurgency which South Africa continued to support. The MPLA Government for more than a decade continued to be largely dependent on oil exports, Cuban troops, and Soviet-supplied weapons. The Cubans and Sovirts were in the incongrous role of defending Western oil interests. In the meantime, Angola made little economic progress. A United States-sponsored peace agreement was the first step in breaking the political impasse between the MPLA and UNITA (1988).

Cold War Battkefield (1975)

The country became a Cold War battlefield when two political movements that had emerged during the independence struggle for control. After independence there was a vicious civil war between the Mouvement pour la libération de l'Angola/Angola Liberation Movement (MPLA), Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (FNLA), and the Union nationale pour l'indépendance totale de l'Angola/National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The conflict was very complicted, a power struggle involving a toxic mixture of personal rivalries, ideological differences, Cold War politics, tribal rivalries and other issues. The two movements struggle for control of the country and that struugle got involved in the Cold War and devloped into a debilitating civil war (1975-2002). The MPLA was supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba. The FNLA received support from the United States. UNITA ws unable to obtain support from a major Cold War player other than largely meaningless support from China. They turned to the South Africans who were apauled with the idea of a Soviet-backed Communist country on their northern border. South Africa thus intervened, sending military forces into Angola to support UNITA. The Soviets and Cubans responded. Cuban troops serving as a Soviet proxy with Soviet equipment entered the fight. After military reverses the South Africans withdrew. The MPLA under the leadership of Agostinho Neto was in control of most of the country using Communist police state tactics and economic policies. The urban based FNLA rapidly desintegrated. The more ethnic based UNITA, however, retreated to the countryside. There it launched a bush war and continued to receive some logistical support from the South Africans.

MPLA Control (1975-88)

The Civil War left the MPLA in control of most of the country, but unable to defeat UNITA in the bush. Tbere was moninterest in permiting any diversity or open competuion in governmnt. The Soviet and Cuban connections meant that the only acceptable outcome was a one party dictatorship. Neto declared the MPLA a Marxist-Leninist vanguard party (1975). At the time, many Africans continued believe that Soviet-style communism was the route to rapid economic development. He and the MPLA faced a danting task. Most of the Portuguese settlers left Angola with the Portuguese Army. They ran most of the colonies productive enterpriess, businesses and commercial farms. They were also much of the educated middle class, including doctors, technicians, and teachers. Thus not only was the country's infrastructure destroyed in the war, but the country did not have a trained, educated population to run a modern economy. Neto showed some flexibility in the economic sphere. He permitted private economic activity in commercial and small-scale industry. He also sought economic relations with Western states, a necesity as this is where the market was for Angolan oil and other mineral exports. Even with Cuban support, however, the MPLA was unable to destroy the UNITA guerilla insurgency. And the country was devestated by a combination of the prolonged war and Soviet-style MPLA economic policies. It still was not well understood tht capitalism generated wealth and socialism retarded economic development. The MPLA thought that socilism was the way to a prosperous dveloped economy. Neto died (1979). José Eduardo dos Santos, the new MPLA leader, inherited the same difficult economic difficulties that Neto faced. Little progress had been made. Much of the Government's income, mostly oil exports, were used up by the military costs associated with combating the the UNITA insurgency which South Africa continued to support. The MPLA Government for more than a decade continued to be largely dependent on oil exports, Cuban troops, and Soviet-supplied weapons. The Cubans and Soviets were in the incongrous role of defending Western oil interests. In the meantime, Angola made little economic progress. Unlike the Soviets and Cubans, the MPLA did not prohibit private conomic activity, at least at low levels. But no major private activity was possible.

Breking the Political Impasse (1988)

A United States-sponsored peace agreement was the first step in breaking the political impasse between the MPLA and UNITA (1988).

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing national pages:
[Return to the Main Angolan page]
[Return to the Main African page]
[Cape Verde Islands] [Democratic Republic of the Congo] [Gabon] [Lessotho] [Madagascar] [Mali] ]South Africa] [Uganda]
[Portugal]

Created: 3:39 AM 7/5/2012
Last updated: 11:16 PM 7/3/2017