Knowing some parties intimately involved in the Angolan struggle, this talk raises a lot of questions about the completeness of narratives of what Khrushchev called "archival rats" and the "I was there types" when considering Cold War episodes. Nevertheless, this is a critical beginning, not only for students of specific local areas but also for Cold War historians. Of course, we know from Khrushchev materials that the Maoist competition to Soviet domination of the Red Bloc was specifically critical of the USSR focus on disenabling the West made it vulnerable to Mao's criticism of betrayal of 3rd World Revolution. Beyond that, at the more microscopic level, a lot of personal life-and death considerations marked the irreconcilable permanence between Moscoe and Beijing in the 3rd World, it serving as the ideological battlefield while Moscow's main preoccupation was with surrounding China and squeezing it until it surrenders Mao. Vietnam, for example was to serve as the Southern arc of such a clamp on China, moving ever Westward to India's border. With such a primary focus, the so-called 3rd World Revolution was real for Mao as "revolutionary" proof of his correctness while for the Khrushchev Europe was the main target. Neither, however, proved successful. The role of the other "little reds" in the bloc played such a minor role that almost any initiative on their part would never be considered competition by Moscow. Let us be sure we stay within the physical laws of the possible as do people who stake everything on the struggle for local power, always operating within the limits permitted by Moscow Central. The physical limits of flowery words are always made clear only by those for whom these episodes in History are existential rather than by archived documents. Of course, both often get adulterated with time. That's why History is such a self-deceiving academic pursuit.
How about simple terms of Portugal like WW2 Germany were a Fascist state and many Russians had a huge hate for anyone from NATO but above all Fascists. So from being any opportunity to diminish the West but above all end Fascism. For the independence fighters they had no option but to go with communism, this was the only way to fight Fascism and keep control of the land by force, surely none of them wanted a Republic so as to ensure no race bias elections (this actually happens in most countries that the majority were farmers and minority army forces now fight any democratic elected government with civil war) just look at ex French lands (not all but some). Now we also have to look at racism faced not just at home but specially in Europe, remember this was a time after WW2, in 1937 everyone loved Hitler including EU and USA some countries were so under the "Theory of evolution" bull that they even had humans Zoos filled with inferior races (this was common thinking back then now imagine how this translated in to a mix or black kid in Europe and above all how many miss-treated Africans worldwide. Knowing Portugal was fascist during WW2 they still not take axes side of the fight remaining neutral but letting the USA and UK use Acores as air base and supplying raw materials to help UK and USSR makes Russians real back stabbers. Guess Germany should have accepted Franco's help and then things would have been very different but then again can't expect much logic from racism
Knowing some parties intimately involved in the Angolan struggle, this talk raises a lot of questions about the completeness of narratives of what Khrushchev called "archival rats" and the "I was there types" when considering Cold War episodes. Nevertheless, this is a critical beginning, not only for students of specific local areas but also for Cold War historians. Of course, we know from Khrushchev materials that the Maoist competition to Soviet domination of the Red Bloc was specifically critical of the USSR focus on disenabling the West made it vulnerable to Mao's criticism of betrayal of 3rd World Revolution. Beyond that, at the more microscopic level, a lot of personal life-and death considerations marked the irreconcilable permanence between Moscoe and Beijing in the 3rd World, it serving as the ideological battlefield while Moscow's main preoccupation was with surrounding China and squeezing it until it surrenders Mao. Vietnam, for example was to serve as the Southern arc of such a clamp on China, moving ever Westward to India's border. With such a primary focus, the so-called 3rd World Revolution was real for Mao as "revolutionary" proof of his correctness while for the Khrushchev Europe was the main target. Neither, however, proved successful. The role of the other "little reds" in the bloc played such a minor role that almost any initiative on their part would never be considered competition by Moscow. Let us be sure we stay within the physical laws of the possible as do people who stake everything on the struggle for local power, always operating within the limits permitted by Moscow Central. The physical limits of flowery words are always made clear only by those for whom these episodes in History are existential rather than by archived documents. Of course, both often get adulterated with time. That's why History is such a self-deceiving academic pursuit.
How about simple terms of Portugal like WW2 Germany were a Fascist state and many Russians had a huge hate for anyone from NATO but above all Fascists. So from being any opportunity to diminish the West but above all end Fascism. For the independence fighters they had no option but to go with communism, this was the only way to fight Fascism and keep control of the land by force, surely none of them wanted a Republic so as to ensure no race bias elections (this actually happens in most countries that the majority were farmers and minority army forces now fight any democratic elected government with civil war) just look at ex French lands (not all but some).
Now we also have to look at racism faced not just at home but specially in Europe, remember this was a time after WW2, in 1937 everyone loved Hitler including EU and USA some countries were so under the "Theory of evolution" bull that they even had humans Zoos filled with inferior races (this was common thinking back then now imagine how this translated in to a mix or black kid in Europe and above all how many miss-treated Africans worldwide.
Knowing Portugal was fascist during WW2 they still not take axes side of the fight remaining neutral but letting the USA and UK use Acores as air base and supplying raw materials to help UK and USSR makes Russians real back stabbers. Guess Germany should have accepted Franco's help and then things would have been very different but then again can't expect much logic from racism