The End of Cold War Tensions in Africa (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
The End of Cold War Tensions in Africa
Cuba's changing priorities
By the mid-1980s, Cuba faced economic pressures that forced it to reconsider its international commitments. The opening of Cuba to tourism provided one avenue for hard currency, and a series of agreements helped maintain the country's social programmes. However, these economic realities meant Cuba had to curtail its assistance to other countries, leading to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Africa and a reduction in the number of medical and infrastructure experts stationed there.
Angola
Gorbachev's policy shift
In December 1986, Gorbachev declared that the Soviet Union would scale back its support for the leftist MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) regime in Angola. This decision stemmed from two interconnected motives: improving relations with the United States and reducing Soviet government expenditure. Gorbachev's reforms at home required financial resources that were being drained by foreign military commitments.
Continued military support despite stated reduction
Despite Gorbachev's announcement, the USSR's actual behaviour contradicted this stated intention. The Soviet Union provided $1 billion worth of arms to the MPLA regime whilst the USA continued to supply UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola), the nationalist faction fighting against the MPLA in the Angolan Civil War.
This continuing support demonstrated the difficulty of disengaging from established Cold War commitments.
Military escalation in 1987
To end the civil war and thereby reduce its own involvement, the USSR encouraged a major offensive against UNITA in September 1987. The strategy aimed to achieve a decisive military victory that would eliminate the need for ongoing Soviet support. However, South African forces launched an offensive that frustrated this effort, demonstrating the complexity of the conflict.
Cuban intervention
Cuba responded to the situation by sending over 10,000 troops to assist the MPLA, acting without consulting Moscow. This independent action showed Cuba's commitment to the MPLA cause but also highlighted the limits of Soviet control over its allies. The Cuban deployment represented a substantial military force that changed the balance of power in the conflict.
South African concerns and the path to negotiations
In May 1988, South Africa agreed to enter negotiations, recognising that continued civil war in Angola posed a threat to its own regime.
The apartheid government feared destabilisation for two reasons:
- First, the prolonged conflict had the potential to weaken South Africa's regional security
- Second, and more importantly, the African National Congress (ANC), which opposed the apartheid regime, could use Angola as a base for operations against South Africa
This concern proved particularly acute given the ANC's armed struggle against apartheid.
The New York Agreement
The December 1988 New York Agreement
Negotiations culminated in an agreement reached in New York in December 1988. The accord included the withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola, a measure made possible through the combined diplomatic efforts of the USSR and the USA. This joint action represented a rare instance of superpower cooperation in resolving a regional conflict.
The agreement brought greater stability to Southwest Africa. South Africa felt more secure and consequently abandoned the need to engage in military conflict with the MPLA regime in Angola. The settlement also resolved a source of sustained Cold War confrontation between the USA and the USSR, removing one theatre of proxy conflict between the superpowers.
Ethiopia
Soviet and Cuban support
Following the Somali invasion of Ogaden, the Soviet Union, Cuba, and North Korea all provided assistance that allowed Ethiopia to retake the territory. This intervention demonstrated the extent of Soviet Bloc involvement in the Horn of Africa. The Soviets maintained their commitment by continuing to provide both economic and military assistance to Ethiopia.
Mengistu's Marxist state
Ethiopia was governed by a military junta led by Mengistu Haile Mariam. In 1987, Mengistu established the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, signalling that the country would function as a fully Marxist state. The Workers Party of Ethiopia (WPE) would lead this Marxist government, cementing Ethiopia's alignment with the Soviet Bloc.
Soviet Bloc assistance
Humanitarian Support from the Soviet Bloc
Ethiopia continued to receive not only military but also humanitarian assistance from the Soviet Bloc. Cuba alone contributed over 300 medical personnel during the 1980s, demonstrating the breadth of support beyond purely military aid.
This assistance proved particularly important because famine and drought continued to afflict Ethiopia. Whilst the country received foreign assistance from international organisations, the direction of relief efforts often faced criticism for inefficiency or politicisation.
Internal conflicts
Twin Military Challenges
Ethiopia faced two interconnected military challenges that would ultimately undermine Mengistu's regime:
- First, the country remained engaged in civil war
- Second, armed resistance from Eritrean nationalists, who sought independence for Eritrea, created an additional front in the conflict
These twin military engagements placed enormous strain on the Ethiopian state and its armed forces.
The impact of Soviet changes
The combination of these two military conflicts proved decisive in undermining the Marxist regime. The Ethiopian Army suffered a series of defeats in 1989. Mengistu calculated that his government could prevail as long as it retained Soviet support. However, events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1991 created an unsettling environment, particularly because the Soviets were attempting to reduce their foreign expenditures. Gorbachev's reforms and the subsequent collapse of communist regimes across Eastern Europe meant that Ethiopia could no longer rely on Soviet backing.
Regime collapse in May 1991
As opposition forces approached the capital of Addis Ababa in May 1991, Mengistu fled the country and sought refuge in Zimbabwe. The new government, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, assumed power in May 1991. Despite the new government's ideology having Marxist roots and its opposition to liberal democracy, it promptly received assistance from the United States.
Significance for the Cold War's end
A Symbol of Changing Priorities
This relationship between the USA and Ethiopia's new government served more as a symbol of the rejection of the former communist regime than as evidence of ideological agreement. The USA's willingness to support a government with Marxist origins demonstrated that, as the Cold War ended, the importance of anti-communism as a determining factor in US foreign policy had diminished. Ideological considerations gave way to more pragmatic assessments of regional stability and national interests.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
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Gorbachev's December 1986 announcement to reduce support for Angola's MPLA reflected both economic pressures and a desire to improve US-Soviet relations, though the USSR initially continued arms supplies worth $1 billion
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The December 1988 New York Agreement resolved the Angolan conflict by arranging Cuban withdrawal, achieved through rare US-Soviet cooperation, and addressed South African fears about the ANC using Angola as an operational base
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Mengistu's Marxist regime in Ethiopia, supported by the Soviet Bloc including over 300 Cuban medical personnel, collapsed in May 1991 due to military defeats, Eritrean resistance, and the withdrawal of Soviet support following changes in Eastern Europe
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US support for Ethiopia's new government in 1991, despite its Marxist origins, demonstrated that anti-communism had ceased to be the primary driver of American foreign policy, marking a clear shift as the Cold War ended
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Both Angolan and Ethiopian cases illustrate how changing Soviet priorities under Gorbachev, combined with local conflicts and economic pressures, led to the end of Cold War tensions in Africa by the early 1990s