The South African Border War or the Namibian War of Independence is not a war that fits exactly into the previously standard Cold War narrative thus far. 

In this conflict, there was a third party involved. Cuba took on a leading role providing support to the Namibians in their fight for independence, which had been under South African control since after WWI. Cuba also provided additional troops to the Angolans who were also fighting for independence and had been receiving support from the USSR.

 The battleground now shifts from East Africa towards Congo and the attempted secession of Katanga. At this time, Congo and its prime minister Patrice Lumumba faced decisions regarding involvement with both the United States and the Soviet Union. Both superpowers sought to secure their interests.

Unlike in East Africa, where the United States was more cautious in entering the conflict and providing support to one side, the Congo Crisis was a different scenario.

Both the United States and the Soviet Union in a way were competing for the favor of the African countries. As such, the U.S. found itself nestled in several countries, some in which they had direct interests in. In the first of a three part series covering Africa, we will first emphasize East Africa. This includes Burundi, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Each country became a platform in the Cold War; a metaphorical battleground of communist versus anti-communist ideology and policy. The tense competition between the two global superpowers created war amongst groups and conflicts between neighboring counties, such as the Ogaden war.

We look back on President Nasser’s seizure of the Suez Canal from Great Britain and swift change of partnership when the U.S. halted funds for the completion of the Aswan Dam. In the years thereafter, Egypt and its neighbors continued to be of geopolitical interest in the Cold War. As Foreign Service Officers like Helmut Sonnenfeldt will introduce, the United States and the Soviet Union will take interest in conflicts such as the 1967 war––also known as the Six Days War––and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.  It was not until the end of the 1970s that Egypt and Israel would end their hostilities at Camp David.  As a result Egypt became an official partner of the United States.

While some countries were the settings of the ideological battle between the United States and the Soviet Union, directly targeted or affected by policies and areas of interest, others like Egypt found an opportunity to bend the situation to their own benefit. Former Egyptian president Gamal Adbel Nasser realized that the United States and the Soviet Union’s preoccupation with Cold War politics could be exploited; this would become his legacy as a non-alignment country in the Cold War. Consequently, Egypt’s ability to tactfully play both sides allowed them to negotiate better deals on military assistance, economic benefits, and gain political power.

us to work together preserving the experiences of America’s diplomats.

Afghanistan played a critical part in the end of the Cold War. As we recall from the last episode, the government of Afghanistan was overthrown in the 1978 Saur Revolution. After the fall of the Afghani government to the Communist revolution, Afghanistan was still divided between many factions such as the Communists and Mujahedeen. In this episode, we will witness the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the years following the Saur Revolution.

On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. This was controversial because before the invasion, the Soviet Union signed a treaty with the Afghan government known as the “Friendship Treaty” in 1978. This agreement provided the Afghan government with economic and military assistance, and allowed the Soviet Union a greater foothold in the country. However, Afghanistan no longer benefited from the treaty after President Nur Muhammad Taraki was overthrown by future-president Mohammed Daoud Khan. The instability of Afghan politics gave opportunity for the Soviet Union to spread their influence and gain control over new territory.

Few moments during the Cold War were as iconic and memorable as the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. This manifestation of Cold War tensions exemplifies both the success and failure of United States containment policy in the early stages of this global conflict. In this episode, we cover the rise of Fidel Castro, the failure of the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban Missile Crisis itself, all from the perspective of America’s Foreign Service Officers.