ABSTRACT
The Angolan war led to a great increase in American aid to Zaire. The influx of American arms into Angola was extremely heavy in August and September 1975 and the Soviet Union responded in kind during the fall. The influx of American arms into Angola was extremely heavy in August and September 1975 and the Soviet Union responded in kind during the fall. Irrespective of Congressional actions, extensive American involvement in Angola persisted. Internal politics had a significant effect on American verbal pronouncements and actions during the Angolan war. Large quantities of Soviet arms began arriving in Angola in October 1974, more than nine months before American arms were supplied, so the Soviet Union must bear the primary responsibility for the ensuing military conflict. Political scientists Jan Triska and David Finley developed a model of international behavior which can be usefully applied to the American role in Angola.
