ABSTRACT
South Yemen occupies a special place in the Soviet view of the Arab world, and in the West’s view of Soviet strategy in the region. Since gaining independence from Britain in 1967, the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) has pursued a radical path in both internal and international policies and has established close relations with the Soviet Union. Soviet theory lays great emphasis on the need for ‘party-building’ in revolutionary states, and the emergence of an orthodox party in South Yemen has been an important goal of Soviet encouragement since independence. Under the pressure of necessity and of socialist theory alike, the PDRY has established preponderant state control over all sectors of the economy since independence. Despite initial intentions, it proved impossible for the National Liberation Front to pursue a model of political and socio-economic development distinct from the orthodox ‘non-capitalist’ one. The alliance with the Soviet Union has been imperative for reasons of military survival.
