Soviet Union Flag For Sale
As the main defender of communism in the Cold War, the Soviet Union came to the assistance of revolutionary forces throughout Africa. The intensity of proxy wars in Southern Africa in general, and Rhodesia in particular saw the full commitment of Soviet Russia. This was largely because of the strategic and economic importance of the region.
Another important factor that facilitated Russia’s incursion into (Southern) Africa was the upsurge of socialism after independence. Ujama for example, was one of these socialist schemes proposed by Tanzania’s pioneer President Julius Nyerere. It was aimed at reaching a classless society free of want. As Alex Thomson observes in his book An Introduction to African Politics, African socialism was based on African traditional values of “classlessness, communalism and egalitarianism before colonial rule.”
Russia’s Heydays in Southern Africa
As observed earlier, the Cold war provided Soviet Russia an opportunity to confront its western rivals on African soil. Throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70’s, communist Russia adopted a “pragmatic” policy towards Africa, seizing every opportunity to intervene and exert its influence in the continent. Moscow widened its diplomatic base by intensifying relations with a large number of African countries.
→ 0 Comments
