Angola, Namibia and Tanganyika: settler wars and negotiated independence
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Flip to reveal answersWhat were the three rival Angolan liberation movements?
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Question
What were the three rival Angolan liberation movements?
Answer
MPLA (Neto, Soviet/Cuban-backed), UNITA (Savimbi, later US/South Africa-backed), and FNLA (Roberto, based near Zaire).
Question
When did the Angolan liberation war begin and end?
Answer
It began in 1961 against Portuguese rule and continued until independence in 1975 — then civil war between MPLA and UNITA continued for decades.
Question
What event in Portugal triggered Angolan independence?
Answer
The Carnation Revolution of April 1974 overthrew Portugal's dictatorship; the new government had no will to keep fighting colonial wars and withdrew.
Question
Why did Angola descend into civil war right after independence?
Answer
Portugal left without a power-sharing agreement between MPLA, UNITA and FNLA, so the rival, ethnically-based movements fought each other for control.
Question
Who founded SWAPO and when?
Answer
Sam Nujoma founded SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organization) in 1960 to campaign for independence from South African rule.
Question
When did Namibia become independent, and how was this achieved?
Answer
21 March 1990, after 1988 accords between South Africa, Angola and Cuba led to troop withdrawals and UN-supervised elections.
Question
How were the Angolan and Namibian independence struggles linked?
Answer
SWAPO used bases in Angola; Cuban troops supporting the MPLA also helped block South African forces; a settled Angola/Namibia border was part of what forced South Africa to negotiate.
Question
Who led TANU and what does 'Mwalimu' mean?
Answer
Julius Nyerere led TANU (Tanganyika African National Union); Mwalimu is Swahili for 'teacher', his popular nickname.
Question
When did Tanganyika become independent, and how long did the process take?
Answer
9 December 1961 — only about six years after TANU formed in 1954, achieved through constitutional negotiation rather than war.
Question
Why was Tanganyika's path to independence peaceful compared with Angola's or Namibia's?
Answer
It had no large European settler population, TANU united people across ethnic lines, and Britain (as trustee) was obliged to prepare it for self-rule rather than defend a permanent colony.
Question
What is the single biggest factor explaining why decolonisation was violent in some African territories and peaceful in others?
Answer
Whether the ruling/occupying power was willing to negotiate a transfer of power — Britain negotiated in Tanganyika; Portugal and apartheid South Africa refused in Angola and Namibia, forcing armed struggle.
Question
What is the correct essay-planning approach for a Paper 3 'examine the reasons' question on this topic?
Answer
Define terms, choose 2–3 best-fit territories, structure one paragraph per factor (supported by evidence from multiple territories), and end with a direct judgement answering the question.
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Topic 21.11 hub
20th-century nationalist and independence movements in Africa
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