POLI 422 Lecture Notes Flashcards
What was MK’s primary method of recruitment?
MK recruited heavily through ideology
Ideology was highly salient in the organization and permeated the rebels’ ranks.
What type of legitimacy did MK enjoy?
Widespread popular legitimacy
MK’s legitimacy transcended ethnicity.
How did MK generally conduct its operations regarding civilians?
MK generally refrained from targeting civilians
Armed operations had political content.
What was the Wankie campaign?
MK’s first military operation in 1967-8, a joint attempt with ZIPRA to cross into South Africa
It was halted in Rhodesia, resulting in casualties on both sides.
What was the impact of the Soweto Uprising in 1976?
The regime massacred hundreds of students, leading thousands of youth to leave South Africa to take up arms.
What was the focus of MK’s operations from 1980-85?
Spectacular MK operations against oil refineries, power plants, and military bases.
What was the United Democratic Front (UDF)?
A protest movement that rose in 1983, launching demonstrations and labor strikes.
What was the response of the regime to UDF protests and MK attacks between 1985-89?
The regime responded by escalating violence.
What was the ‘Total Strategy’ devised by the apartheid regime?
A strategy that claimed South Africa faced a Soviet-led international ‘total onslaught’ and included all means of violence.
What were some operations of apartheid special forces?
Raids on ANC and SWAPO targets throughout southern Africa
Notable operations included Cassinga (1978) and Lesotho (1982 and ‘85).
What does ‘securocracy’ refer to in the context of the apartheid regime?
The increasing integration of counterinsurgency into government bureaucracy.
What was the purpose of the National Security Management System (NSMS)?
To oversee local Joint Management Centres (JMCs) and reshape civil society in black townships.
What characterized the assassination of political figures during the apartheid era?
Political assassination was employed to ensure the subaltern’s silence, often with plausible deniability.
What did the U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger prioritize during the Angolan conflict?
Preventing Soviet influence and seeking opportunities to challenge them.
What were the three rebel groups competing for power in Angola post-independence?
- MPLA
- FNLA
- UNITA
What was the CIA’s strategy regarding FNLA and UNITA?
To fund and arm them to prevent a ‘cheap’ MPLA victory.
What were some motives for mercenaries joining Rhodesian forces?
- Profit
- Sense of ‘pan-white’ racial solidarity
Who were the primary carriers of ‘whiteness’ in the Rhodesian War?
Mercenaries, including approximately 2.3k Americans.
What was the effect of U.S. mercenaries in Rhodesia?
They temporarily extended the life of a doomed regime.
What was a significant theme of women’s participation in the Zimbabwean Liberation Struggle?
Food provision emerged as a major theme of self-identification.
What was the likely consequence for women’s roles post-revolution?
Reinforcement of the public/private split, leading to demobilisation.
What was the logic of proxy wars?
To impose costs on the other side and gain bargaining leverage during peace settlements.
What role did South Africa play in the civil wars in Mozambique and Angola?
It supported insurgent groups like UNITA and RENAMO to destabilize post-independence governments.
What was the outcome of the Nkomati Accords in 1984?
A meeting between Mozambican President Samora Machel and South African leaders.
