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Cold War Dynamics in Southern Africa: Defending White Minority Rule

Explore how South Africa, Rhodesia, and Portugal navigated the Cold War, strategies of survival, and the impact of the Portuguese Empire collapse on racialized social orders. Analyze support from global powers and the role of apartheid regimes.

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Cold War Dynamics in Southern Africa: Defending White Minority Rule

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  1. Defending white minority rule HI277 | Africa and the Cold War Term 2 | Week 5 Dr Natalia Telepneva Détente in action: South Africa’s Prime Minister B. J. Vorster meets Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, Victoria Falls, 1975

  2. Lecture Outline • South Africa, South Rhodesia and Portuguese Colonies: Key Features • Relations with the West • Strategies of Survival • 1974 Revolution in Portugal and its Consequences • Conclusions

  3. 1. South Africa: Background Economic powerhouse: • Kimberley diamond diggings, 1867- • Witwatersrand gold mines, 1880s- -->mines required cheap labour development of racial hierarchy Afrikaner Nationalism: ‘Great trek’; Boer wars (1880-81 and 1899-1902) 1914: National Party Southern Africa colonies, c. 1900

  4. 1. South Africa: Elections 1948 Jan Smuts (United Party) F. D. Malan (National Party) • What was the impact of the collapse of the Portuguese Empire? versus

  5. 1. South Africa: Sharpeville, 21 March 1960 “Sharpeville victims and police”. Source: https://www.sahistory.org.za

  6. 1. South Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) • British colony • 1953-1963: Central African Federation: Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Nyasaland (Malawi) and Southern Rhodesia. • 11 November 1965: Ian Smith proclaims Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) Top: announcements of UDI Bottom: Ian Smith, circa 1979

  7. 1. Portuguese Empire in Africa • Complex society: white Portuguese; black Angolans; mesticos (mixed-race) population • Labour scarcity development of hierarchical social order • Lack of investment in social welfare • 1932-1968: Antonio Salazar’s comes to power in Lisbon. Establishes Estado Novo (‘New State’) in 1933. • 1961: Angolan Uprising and the start of anti-colonial wars António de Oliveira Salazar. PM 1932-1968

  8. 1. What did these regimes have in common? • racialised social order (extreme in South Africa) • socioeconomic problems & “poor whites” • anti-colonial movements, often spurred into violent action by key events (Sharpeville in South Africa, UDI in South Rhodesia and Angolan Uprising)

  9. 2. Who supported the white minority states? • Portugal and NATO allies. Importance of the Azores Location of the Azores archipelago. NATO military base at Lajes

  10. 2. Who supported the white minority states? • South Africa & USA • Economic interests – 20% of FDI from US by 1980 • Technological expertise – development of nuclear programme • Regional policeman against communism in Africa • Shifting position: 1963 – supported voluntary UN embargo on arms sales to South Africa Johnson and especially Nixon much more tolerant of apartheid Carter and human rights – voted to render UN arms embargo mandatory

  11. 2. Who supported the white minority states? • Britain – ambiguous support • Conservative governments more tolerant; Labour more critical • Heath government and proposed sale of helicopters to South Africa, 1971 • Thatcher opposed economic sanctions against South Africa… but did negotiate the settlement in Rhodesia in 1979-80 • Beyond the government… • Conservative ‘Monday Club’ • France, West Germany • Israel • Problematic position of frontline states, especially Kaunda’s Zambia and Banda’s Malawi

  12. 3. Strategies of Survival • Cooperation between South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Portugal • Political: South Africa’s support for Rhodesian UDI • Economic: Evading embargos, e.g. Portuguese provided oil to Rhodesia • Military: Exercise ALCORA, 1970 Not an equal alliance: South Africa dominated • International diplomacy used threat of communism to get international backing

  13. 4. Carnation Revolution in Portugal, 25 April 1974 Euronews: Program from 2018, Youtube

  14. 4. Hawks and doves: shifts in South African foreign policy Left: Hendrik Verwoerd (PM 1958-66). hawk Centre: Balthazar Johannes Vorster (PM 1966-78). Détente, dove Right: P.W. Botha (PM 1978-84). Die Groot Krokodil(The Big Crocodile). hawk

  15. Conclusions • Did the Cold War prolong white minority rule in southern Africa? • How do we analyse apartheid regime in South Africa? • What was the impact of the collapse of the Portuguese Empire?

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