ABSTRACT
The Soviet Union has always extolled the cause of the Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (MPLA). Its Marxist ideological platform and ties to the Portuguese Communist Party have been motivating factors. Also influencing the Soviet attitude were American linkages with the Frente Nacional de Libertacao de Angola (FNLA) and Chinese connections to both the FNLA and Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA). Soviet support for the MPLA was long evident and the Soviet Union was obviously committed to the elimination of white–minority rule in southern Africa. The Angolan experience marked the first serious Soviet entry into southern African politics and the role played by the Cubans in support of Soviet policy far exceed previous limited actions in other African states. The Angolan war presented an ideologically confused jumble and cannot be analyzed in simplistic, communist-democratic terms.
