When you're an ex-Spanish colony fighting in an ex-Portuguese colony against an ex-British colony that was an ex-Dutch colony trying to keep an hold on another colony.
...And you're not helping other ex-Spanish colonies because you're afraid of intervention by an ex-British Colony that almost made you a colony 60 years early.
@@roadhouse6999 ...And you became an ex-Spanish colony of an ex-British colony after the ex-British colony beat up your ex-Spanish and owned you for a bit before you, the ex-Spanish colony, got independence from the ex-British colony that helped you against your ex-Spanish.
Because it's actually not true - it was the final battlefield of the cold war. It was a regular US v Russia proxy with the Russians backing the Cubans and the US backing South Africa.
@@jontheb123 Regarding your point about the RSA being a USA proxy, that's not entirely true. The US did not support Apartheid (officially at least; though President Reagan and many Republican Southerners generally did to varying extents for their own various reasons), so American "involvement" was purely media-related. Also there were a few Russian troops in Angola, so it wasn't exclusively *proxy*. Another reason the US didn't provide aid, they didn't want to piss off the Russians any more than they already had.
All kinds of weird things were triggered by the Cold War. Other than the world wars, arguably the most wide-spread with lots of proxy wars among other things.
Fun fact: there were three warring factions in the Angolan Civil War: the MPLA (who were Marxists in ideology), the UNITA who were right-winged in ideology, and the FNLA who were reactionaries that wanted to restore the ancient pre-colonial Kongo empire. Along with clear ideological differences and the quest for power, the civil war was also a war against ethnic groups that didn’t really like each other.
in case you're wondering: yes the meme from BO2 of "WE MUST FIGHT THE MPLA" was from the Angolan Civil War, the person saying it being Jonas Savimbi, leading UNITA.
My father was actually there, in Angola, at that time (he was a captain of a little fishing vessel 18 years) and he says that the Cubans were rather friendly with him in Luanda. Interestingly, he claims that the ones he met were in another fishing vessel but when he got invited to their ship it was full with aks and grenades.
My dad was actually there in Angola, (he’s Cuban)he told me that they had to smuggle weapons and camping gear on fishing ships to be undetected. He also said that people in Luanda were friendly but when he was sent south and deep inland people were a lot less keen on them. Small world isn’t it?
@@raulrod95 quizás incluso se conocieran jajaj mi padre (español) contaba que una vez un cubano colega suyo le preguntó que si sabía cómo pescaban los cubanos y tras eso tiro una granada al agua y al explotar salieron los peces a flote. Si le puedes preguntar si de casualidad conoció a algún patrón de pesca español de Lepe (O Huelva) sería genial 🙏
@@raulrod95 Cubans were considered brothers by most angolans. I lived those times growing up in a city from the south of Angola called Huambo. I remember going to visit a cuban unit on a school trip in 1987. We spent the day learning how to play baseball and learning how the unit was managed. Every region controlled by the MPLA (the government) Cubans where more than welcome. It was normal to see cuban militarily personal in the city doing their daily routines. Many also had left kids there. In regions controlled by UNITA, things were in fact different.
so the first mission of black ops 2 is kinda accurate, i always thought it was all nonsense with the cuban military in africa but apparently its based on real history
Cuba intevened in many foreign wars. It also helped Ethiopia during the Ogaden War, and fought Israel in the Yom Kippur War, to name a few. That tiny island made a big name for itself in the last half of the 20th century regarding warfare.
The nicest and most caring man I have ever known in Cuba, name's José, fought at Angola, he used to tell us stories of the struggles the army faced in the Angolan jungles, I don't remember many of them besides that several times they had to keep an eye on the water supply in case a Lizard species contaminated it by simply having contact with it and the nights without sleep due to the alarming sounds of gunfire in the dark depths of the jungle
this is cool to watch, as an Angolan living in the diaspora it's pretty interesting seeing part of our history (albeit a violent part of the history) being shared with the global community.
I've just started getting into history after a passing comment from my south african uncle, I must've listened to him talk about it for 2 hours and I STILL have no idea what happened.
@@cannibalbunnygirl a couple years ago, my dad had a business meeting with a South African, former soldier from the war, and they had long talk about those days. It was interesting seeing two people from opposing sides sharing those memories. Obviously at the end they both had disclaimers that they were just doing what they were simply following orders.
@@KexiGina pretty much what my uncle said, he didn't want to join the SADF but there was little to no choice. He got conscripted at 16. The damage done to men on both sides is unfathomable
My grandfather was a Cuban there he "volunteered" in what i believe was the "gloria regiment" in the 70s, he left behind a young wife and a daughter (my mother) in the army he was known as "el Gallego" because his family was from Spain he trained for a few months as an machine gunner, then he and his comrades boarded a leased soviet oil tanker which took him to Angola, along the way they were harrased by US naval aircraft they had to run to the hot holds until the aircraft would leave he sent many letters describing how empty the cities felt, with abandoned cars and looting, the constant patrols and freezing nights believe it or not and how many (not all locals) where "submissive" to the Portuguese and were expecting their return he saw an MPLA soldier throw a mortar round to knock down a fruit from a tree which detonated, killing a bunch of men, the blood was a terrible sight later in a patrol over a bridge his unit was ambushed where he jumped down and laid suppressive fire which routed the UNITA, most of them dropped their own guns as they fled he never answered if he had killed anybody he returned completely healthy and fine to his family, today is his birthday 81 years old i have always been proud of him which is very good considering all the wounded cubans that came back, missing arms and sometimes blind some people came back intact but not in mind Important to know angola and cuba has today very good relations, and they trade alot with each other, angola even operates oil drills in the gulf of mexico with cuban assistance cuba also sells them some armored vehicles
"he saw an MPLA soldier throw a mortar round to knock down a fruit from a tree which detonated, killing a bunch of men, the blood was a terrible sight" how, why, what
@@unsrescyldas9745 My grandpa arrived on the scene immediately after the explosion, a witness in the scene told him the victim picked up an unexploded bomb, and carelessly threw it, supposedly to get a fruit from a tree. I do not know any details of how it actually happened
@@unsrescyldas9745 totally true what he says. I worked in the archives of the Institute for the History of Cuba when I was studying my first degree (History) and one day I had to help a colleague with the documentary collection of the fallen in the war in Angola and the number of stupid accidents that occurred in that war is awesome. Here are two other examples: one day a soldier playing with his weapon killed a comrade. And another time a soldier went to bathe in a river and never appeared. This was told to me by my dad who was in the Ethiopian war: one of his companions taking a bath with a large aluminum can, the can fell and he injured himself between the toes of one foot, this was when they were stationed in the desert. Since there was no doctor and only the company toilet, the wound got worse and worse until he died of gangrene.
My dad was gonna be sent off to Angola when he was in the Cuban Militias a s Truck driver but he was so short he was allowed a pardon to not serve cause he could barely drive
@@grontelp77 I love the song about "comandante Che Guevara" but when I sing it I replace his evil name with something decent like "Don fulano" (de tal).
In the 80s Cuba was considered a middle power and an influential country in Latin America by boosting a well trained and equiped military. All of this was of course financed by soviet loans and the purchase of cuban sugar by the USSR.
That's cool. The USA wants to use military force to bully the world, and the USSR is willing to buy sugar and make loans. Gee, I wonder who the bad guys are
One thing that's interesting about this conflict, is that it became so muddled that at one point there were Cuban soldiers defending MPLA oil rigs exporting oil to the U.S. from American backed UNITA soldiers who were trying to capture the 'american' oil rigs.
Not that surprising. Consider that the United States is currently militarily occupying a chunk of Syria rich in oil and agriculture, both to steal the oil and prevent the Syrian government from rebuilding its war-devastated country.
@@princesstinklepanties2720 Actually it was all the way around. Cuba went on mercenary missions to other third world countries. It was a way to funnel money to the country. It was called Internationalists service. There were military branches but also civilian particularly health and infrastructure (roads, water plants etc). Not great quality but it was a way to make money and advance in the system.
I knew about it since my dad was almost drafted into the war so when veterans came back they talked about it and on how Cuba was the first to set foot after the Portuguese withdrawal from Angola
I was a young teenager when this happened, and I REALLY didn’t understand it. This video would have helped me a lot back then. I just saw newspaper and TV reports about Cuban troops in Angola and thought “That’s pretty weird!” The articles and TV reports didn’t explain why Cuba was there, which made it hard for a teenager to understand what was going on. I just figured it was just more Cold War weirdness (which was pretty common back then).
Cuba in fact was there by request of the Soviet Union who supplied all the logistics and armament for the war and Cuba supplied all the manpower or cannon meat as they say.
@@elierfernandezguerra yeah right, Fidel Castro whose country population is like 80% blacks or mixed races cared about apartheid. So explain then to me why the government elites of Cuba are whites in a 95% composition l 😆😆😆 Probably Fidel Castro loved apartheid too.
@@TubeDisabuser all armament Cuba ever had, and still have today was DONATED by the Soviet Union. Only thing they have bought over the years is some police gear. They are totally broken and they were even more broken before the war in Angola started. I said donated because Putin a few years ago in 2014, just cancelled the 90% of Cuban debt to Russia ascending to 35 billions of dollars. So Cuba still owes 3.5 billions to Russia and you can be sure they aren't paying it either.
I remember watching "The Gods Must Be Crazy 2" as a kid in the late 80s, and being baffled about the gag with 2 soldiers, one of them white Cuban the other black African, and I just couldn't understand what why how in the hell is Cuban army fighting a war in Africa?
@Caesar Sanchez lucky for who? I have been to Angola and Cuba. The people of Cuba are much better off. Both Cuba and Angola are poor, but the people of Cuba have Great Free Health Care, Great Free Education and Cuba is only poor because of the blockade. Angola is poor because of Western Imperialism, that places corrupt leaders in charge that sellout their people, resources, and country.
For those wondering, MPLA stands for Movimento Popular de Liberação Angolana (Portuguese for Popular Movement for Angolan Liberation). No idea what UNITA stands for though.
When you just wanted to be independent of your colonial overlord, Portugal, but find your country now in a proxy war between the superpowers of South Africa and Cuba
LMFAO, South Africa an Cuba a super power? That's a joke. South Africa was a puppet of the United States and the United Kingdom. Cuba did what was correct, they Angola the same chance Cuba had been given. They help to throw the yoke of imperialism off and choose their own destiny.
@@vnorm2907 Fair enough, but if we can agree that I’m not seriously claiming that either side is a superpower, than I’m also probably not literally describing the actual political situation there.
History matters is one of the most entertaining channels combining well researched history with humour and delivered in a great way so I really hope that one day they can make longer videos again and UA-cam changes it’s stupid policies
I think you’re overstating their enmity for one another. Cuba was fighting for communism, for the MPLA, more so than fighting South Africa. Likewise, South Africa was fighting its Border War, of which the Angolan War was just one theater.
I remember reading for school comparing Cuban intervention in Angola to US intervention in Vietnam that a big difference was that Cuba never faced a shortage of volunteers to go to Angola That might be overall though and Cuba may have had to force specialists to go
The only thing missing in the video was the huge support the USSR gave in logistics and armaments, in addition to yearly monetary support, to Cuba to aid it in its intervention in Angola. The Cubans spilled their blood for their cause there, and the Soviets were the ones mostly paying for it. I remember Cubans in Angola constantly being referred to as surrogate troops, in the US press and other publications throughout the 1980's. With this aside, great video!
And the US support for FNLA, and then UNITA and South Africa. It's obvious that the 2 cold war super powers would not be blind to what was going on in Angola, even if it was not a top priority...
@@davideastman979 there is actually proof. An Ex-CIA agent wrote a book. It's called "in search of an enemy". Both powers where active. There actually where Romanian, East German and Soviet troops on the ground. As well as mercenaries from South Africa and Europe with US support
@@hahaha5290 and after the peace treaty they became a legal political party. They won the presidental election in 2009 and 2014. They are decaying after the last elections (2019).
I truly enjoy that you elabirate on South Africa's history. I hope you find more of these stories that you can show. It is truly inspiring to see my home country being more recognized.
@Jay Kemme they got involed in angola for two reasons they would be paid by Mpla government to help in war and cuba would get most resources from angola.
@@juanguzman9031 I'm not. Despite much surprise and shock in the UN (which amounts to nothing) states like the USA (and other states, mind you.) think in a very opportunistic manner, and the USA was no different. I'm sure you'd find dozens of such incidents made by the USSR too, like its invasion of Afghanistan, its involvement in Eastern Europe and the various wars it supported across Africa, which, unsurprisingly, were as bloody as they come. I blame neither state (From a purely apathetic point of view) in their opportunism, I blame the leaders who either were too naïve or didn't bother to think that these states were merely using them and that when they outlive their usefulness, they'll be deposed and, surprise surprise, not have much popular backing in the streets. It's what happened to Indonesia's leader. I'm no American or Russian, but I think this is what it amounts to. Obviously you could have said that comment as a joke, but I wanted to share my opinion.
@@souvikrc4499 when it comes to the Cold War, when is it ever a good moment? I do admit as a US American, my government did more damage for the most that I'm more amazed we're still in somewhat good terms with the rest of the world. You tell me on how that works.
@@yassineszn17 Well Liberia was founded by Americans as a home for free slaves. That’s why the Liberian flag and American flag are similar. But that’s not the only American influence left on Liberia. For example, Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, named after US President James Monroe.
I've lived in Angola for eight years. Thanks for this video. Maybe someday you could make a part II about the civil war after the 1992 elections. Or another about Cabinda. Lots of stories to tell in Africa!
It's good to see more information about this particular conflict within the Cold War. I always felt there wasn't enough coverage of what happened in Africa at least when compared to Asia or Latin America.
The second largest guerrilla group during the Portuguese Colonial Wars isn't mentioned, the FLNA was backed by the US, Zaire, and Israel against the MPLA. Just outside the capital and advancing from the North they were stopped by Cuba's immediate (and surprise) intervention in the war. The FLNA with 22,000 troops that were largely with poor morale fled and later were shattered by the Cuban intervention. The interesting part is that Cuba would also join the Ethiopian Somali War and the Arab Israeli Conflict in their quest for spreading communism throughout Africa.
Castro: “here’s our golden opportunity to show off” Castro a year after: “I can see where this gets difficult. No wonder they couldn’t kill me” *Contemplative cigar smoking during a sunset
Interesting to hear about other battles fought by other countries in the 20th century, that wasn’t WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Gulf War, or Somalia. If it weren’t for HM, I probably wouldn’t ever know that other modern countries fight and go to war as well. Sure I could google it, but I wouldn’t know where to start. This channel makes it informative and entertaining at the same time. Thanks HM
0:46 during the Portuguese Colonial War, there were reports of Cuban combatants in the Angolan theatre. I think a few were captured. There was even a suspicion (later seen to be unfounded) that Che Guevara was there.
Huh? Not to be that guy, but hadnt comrade Che been killed by then. What year was this? Are you confusing this with his failed attempts to start a revolution in the congo or Bolivia, both actually happened with the latter leading to his death. Also, Che would definitely have written about it if he had gone to Angola. Unless this comment is on about the Angolan war of independence? Which would make sense to the extent Che was still alive, but no real sense due to Che being quite busy back then. I guess it was revealed to be unfounded though. Either way, dont confuse this to be a political attack. I am a communist and love Che Guevara, and to a lesser extent I like Cuba. But this was just me trying to understand what you meant or try and disprove it. I couldnt find anyhting on any Portugese colonial wars, so those 2 wars were the only ones I saw relevant to talk about
@@mrsynth2643 Yes, the Portuguese Colonial War (in Angola) is the same conflict as the Angolan war of independence, just said from, well, the two different perspectives :) There were a lot of cubans in Angola from 1975 to 1991 or so, but some were there as combatants/advisors throughout the 60's all the way to 1975. And a handful were captured in missions of the portuguese army. In one of these operations intelligence (wrongly) reported Che was in Angola, but that turned out to be fake
@@viperaputakeyteaparyou8237 alright, thanks for informing me. Have a nice day and thank you for being peaceful and rational about this kind of topic, you'll be surprised how rare that is :)
When US attacked Libya in an attempt to kill Gaddafi .... heavily armed troops turned up at the oil installations in Southern Libya. The American and British workers were very concerned 😟 (Gaddafi had sent extra troops with instructions to ensure no oil workers were ill treated, harmed or attacked in any way.) He was worried local leaders or units might assault the foreigners. Nice that he thought of them
I remember in the '80's listening to a lot of news stories about AIDS in Cuba and how the involvement with Angola was cited as a transmission factor. Many Cuba soldiers contracted AIDS in Angola and brought it back home to the island nation. Of course, this was in a time when AIDS was still a taboo subject in Cuba, barely less so in the U.S., and it appears a convenient scapegoat was needed to assign blame. Later, some of the U.S. media reported many Cubans with AIDS were simply sent off to sanitariums to die of the disease.
US and UK supplied lots of weapons and equipment to help South Africa. That is why when Soviet Union fell, the Western aid to South Africa stopped and Apartied couldnt survive anymore.
The US were arming and funding two "rebel" movements in Angola to assist South Africa install a puppet regime in Angola. The aim was to have an Apartheid Bloc of racist or puppet states surrounding South Africa, composed of Angola, South West Africa (Namibia), Rhodesia and Mozambique, but lost the latter two after they became independent.
The many Proxy Wars within the overall framework of the Cold War essentially boiled down to the USA and USSR and their families being dragged along to a barbecue because they were invited and their kids are friends. The barbecue happens, and the children start arguing about who has the best toys, eventually boiling down to a "My Dad can beat up your Dad!" argument, whilst desperately trying to get their attention, as the Dads ignore them whilst awkwardly making small talk and the occasional passive-aggressive dig at each other
Not entirely revisionist, but rather one sided with zero nuance. It's basically the Cuban justifications after the war. It misses out on many key points such as why SA got it involved in Angola in the first place. On second thought, it's every bit as biased as all history tends to be. It's perfect.
My favorite part of the MPLA declaring Democracy in Angola is when José Eduardo dos Santos was President of Angola from 1979-2017 A shining example of Democracy
Jonas Savimbi, the leader of UNITA and the "death to the MPLA" meme guy, was originally Marxist. He changed side to secure aid from the US and South Africa.
I looked that up because of your comment and I was surprised to see it's true. I didn't find why he switched though. I'm guessing he was more interested in obtaining power than he was to create any sort of different society. Nothing but another warlord from the little I've seen.
You didn't mention this, but I was reading government documents at the time, the cuban fighters arrived mere _HOURS_ before luanda (the capital) was going to fall, that's how desperate the situation was
Calling the battle of Cuito Cuanavale a decisive MPLA/Cuban victory dramatically over-simplifies things. It was a tactical victory for SA/Unita, but a strategic defeat. It was however enough to convince both parties and their respective backers in Washington and Moscow that a negotiated peace was desirable.
Great summary, also worth mentioning that on addition to the named countries, German, Romanian and Soviet troops where on the ground as well as many European mercenaries involved.
"Proxy war between Cuba and South Africa" Never imagened I'd hear those words
Not even proxy. They actually engaged each other in the battlefield.
yeah, not proxy cause they did actually fight, Cuba fought to dismantle apartheid for decades
That's why this channel exists.
Bootleg USA vs USSR.
@@TheFlameBladeWielder Cuba won. Brought freedom to us and is now swept under the carpet.
When you're an ex-Spanish colony fighting in an ex-Portuguese colony against an ex-British colony that was an ex-Dutch colony trying to keep an hold on another colony.
...And you're not helping other ex-Spanish colonies because you're afraid of intervention by an ex-British Colony that almost made you a colony 60 years early.
Colony Ception
@@roadhouse6999 ...And you became an ex-Spanish colony of an ex-British colony after the ex-British colony beat up your ex-Spanish and owned you for a bit before you, the ex-Spanish colony, got independence from the ex-British colony that helped you against your ex-Spanish.
Oh yeah, it's all coming together...
"The War of the Colonies"
"The Angolan Civil war was now becoming a proxy war between Cuba and South Africa"
I would never thought I would hear a sentence like that.
Because it's actually not true - it was the final battlefield of the cold war. It was a regular US v Russia proxy with the Russians backing the Cubans and the US backing South Africa.
hmm interesting
@@jontheb123 Regarding your point about the RSA being a USA proxy, that's not entirely true. The US did not support Apartheid (officially at least; though President Reagan and many Republican Southerners generally did to varying extents for their own various reasons), so American "involvement" was purely media-related.
Also there were a few Russian troops in Angola, so it wasn't exclusively *proxy*. Another reason the US didn't provide aid, they didn't want to piss off the Russians any more than they already had.
@James Rogers Ah. Cheers.
@@incurve6839 really? Lol
This sounds exactly like something that happens in non-historical Hoi4 games...
That's where Portugal brought out the first slaves in 1450's. Cuban Africans probably didn't mind that.
Wait until you hear about Aztecs and Ottomans going to war on the Philippine archipelago like a non-historical EU4.
Or TNO
@@imlivingunderyourbed7845 the most ambitious crossover + it was against Japanese Pirates (i think)
@@bruh5992 Wait what
Only in the Cold War can you more or less hear "Cuba and South Africa had a war in Angola" and still not be surprised.
DEATH TO THE MPLA
All kinds of weird things were triggered by the Cold War. Other than the world wars, arguably the most wide-spread with lots of proxy wars among other things.
"Ooooh yeah... that makes total sense"
I'm still a little surprised tbh. Fighting a war an ocean away is probably pretty hard for a small country like cuba, i'd imagine.
As a South African, I was surprised, lol. Did not expect a mention.
Fun fact: there were three warring factions in the Angolan Civil War: the MPLA (who were Marxists in ideology), the UNITA who were right-winged in ideology, and the FNLA who were reactionaries that wanted to restore the ancient pre-colonial Kongo empire. Along with clear ideological differences and the quest for power, the civil war was also a war against ethnic groups that didn’t really like each other.
Sadly jonas's dream didnt happen
UNITA was based
Death to the MPLA!
Somehow people seem to always overlook that point lol
It seems like every war in Africa turns into an excuse for ethnic clashing, which is a result of all the colonialism
in case you're wondering: yes the meme from BO2 of "WE MUST FIGHT THE MPLA" was from the Angolan Civil War, the person saying it being Jonas Savimbi, leading UNITA.
Got it. Thanks.
"DEATH TO THE MPLA!"
FIGHT MY BRUTHAS
THEY ARE WEAK, WE MUST FINISH THEM
*OUR JOURNEY TO VICTORY HAS BEGUN!*
My father was actually there, in Angola, at that time (he was a captain of a little fishing vessel 18 years) and he says that the Cubans were rather friendly with him in Luanda. Interestingly, he claims that the ones he met were in another fishing vessel but when he got invited to their ship it was full with aks and grenades.
My dad was actually there in Angola, (he’s Cuban)he told me that they had to smuggle weapons and camping gear on fishing ships to be undetected. He also said that people in Luanda were friendly but when he was sent south and deep inland people were a lot less keen on them.
Small world isn’t it?
@@raulrod95 quizás incluso se conocieran jajaj mi padre (español) contaba que una vez un cubano colega suyo le preguntó que si sabía cómo pescaban los cubanos y tras eso tiro una granada al agua y al explotar salieron los peces a flote. Si le puedes preguntar si de casualidad conoció a algún patrón de pesca español de Lepe (O Huelva) sería genial 🙏
Cuban military only knew how to fight guerillas
Cubans are really friendly, surprised they invaded angola you expect that from europeans
@@raulrod95
Cubans were considered brothers by most angolans.
I lived those times growing up in a city from the south of Angola called Huambo.
I remember going to visit a cuban unit on a school trip in 1987.
We spent the day learning how to play baseball and learning how the unit was managed.
Every region controlled by the MPLA (the government) Cubans where more than welcome.
It was normal to see cuban militarily personal in the city doing their daily routines.
Many also had left kids there.
In regions controlled by UNITA, things were in fact different.
portugese colonizers: left
weapon shipments: received
foreign military "advisers": invited
Yep, it's civil war time.
how do you not have more likes?
a military adviser is what it sounds, a general that helps a military group that lacks its own military officers with knowledge in strategy
hotel: trivago
@@whoeveneatsbreakfast More like Hotel: Rwanda lol.
Hotel: trivago
"But matters were complicated"
A very common phrase when describing human history.
And particularly the cold war
Especially post independence Africa
But it doesn’t play well with prime-time TV news.
South Africa clearly didn't have the financial assistance of James Bisonette
Bro no $hit
james bissonnete meme begins
Thats because he is communist, as every inteligent person in the world
@@guilhermefaleiros4892
Intelligent people want starving and economic mismanagement?
I don't think so.
@@guilhermefaleiros4892funny joke😂
Wen ur cuban fightin in africa against a man who speaks dutch and his country is ruled by english and the people your protecting speak portuguese
aaaaahhhh, MR WORLDWIDE!
Actually South Africans don't speak Dutch and the Country was being ruled by an Afrikaans political party not an English political party*
@@gareth6525 Double "aaaaahhhh, MR WORLDWIDE!"
Afrikaans*
They spoke Afrikaans, which is kind of like Dutch
"STOP WATCHING THIS, BROTHER...
WE MUST FIGHT THE MPLA!"
Lol
Sad that they lost, Only if the real-life Savimbi said that, they would've won!
YES!
You guys are crazy
@@mwraitakhsFAL go’s Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
so the first mission of black ops 2 is kinda accurate, i always thought it was all nonsense with the cuban military in africa but apparently its based on real history
Cuba intevened in many foreign wars. It also helped Ethiopia during the Ogaden War, and fought Israel in the Yom Kippur War, to name a few. That tiny island made a big name for itself in the last half of the 20th century regarding warfare.
@@zddxddyddw God bless those humanitarian crazy bastards.
You could’ve...googled it
It’s how I got into history I played historical games and was like ‘did that happen Though?’ And looked it up
@Wyatt Earp Look up Cuba`s doctor program and tell me they aren`t humanitarian.
@@kiandocherty3589 that's like saying "look up hitlers first steps in politics" to prove he was a socialist
(he was not)
Can we give a salute to people like Spinning three plates and David Silverman? They've been supporting this channel forever and ever
?
How dare you forget Mr Bissonnette
Also Kelly Moneymaker
@@jamesbissonette4438 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@jamesbissonette4438 he is the Messiah /s
The nicest and most caring man I have ever known in Cuba, name's José, fought at Angola, he used to tell us stories of the struggles the army faced in the Angolan jungles, I don't remember many of them besides that several times they had to keep an eye on the water supply in case a Lizard species contaminated it by simply having contact with it and the nights without sleep due to the alarming sounds of gunfire in the dark depths of the jungle
Wow
Cool, do you have more stories??
I would have been so scared...
Did you also ask him if he participated in the massacres?
@@captainpiggz6391 the massacre was Made by the south african racist
"DEATH TO THE MPLA"
Some black dude in black ops 2
He's a real general, who fought angolan civil war
What are you doing here brothers?
*WE MUST FIGHT THE MPLA*
Rick Ross
MPLA NEEDS TO GET REMOVED
@Alice Von Hindenburg MPLA still stands strong against Portuguese Colonialists and CIA backed puppets 🇦🇴 🇦🇴 🇦🇴 🇦🇴
this is cool to watch, as an Angolan living in the diaspora it's pretty interesting seeing part of our history (albeit a violent part of the history) being shared with the global community.
I've just started getting into history after a passing comment from my south african uncle, I must've listened to him talk about it for 2 hours and I STILL have no idea what happened.
@@cannibalbunnygirl a couple years ago, my dad had a business meeting with a South African, former soldier from the war, and they had long talk about those days. It was interesting seeing two people from opposing sides sharing those memories. Obviously at the end they both had disclaimers that they were just doing what they were simply following orders.
@@KexiGina pretty much what my uncle said, he didn't want to join the SADF but there was little to no choice. He got conscripted at 16.
The damage done to men on both sides is unfathomable
@@cannibalbunnygirl that's one hell of a passing comment
@@drumboarder1 lol, he made a comment and it turned into a 2hr conversation. Should've made that clear 😂
This entire thing sounds so off, it's like it's straight from hoi4.
Cod black ops 2 beginning campaign
When is Paradox making their Cold War game?
@@MajorMlgNoob
*Poland first nation on the moon event popup*
THEY DID WAT?!
@@MajorMlgNoob It got canned years ago
@@OscarDirlwood What a load of crap. Could easily make it possible to transfer saves from Hoi4->cold war game->Stellaris
My grandfather was a Cuban there
he "volunteered" in what i believe was the "gloria regiment" in the 70s, he left behind a young wife and a daughter (my mother)
in the army he was known as "el Gallego" because his family was from Spain
he trained for a few months as an machine gunner, then he and his comrades boarded a leased soviet oil tanker which took him to Angola, along the way they were harrased by US naval aircraft
they had to run to the hot holds until the aircraft would leave
he sent many letters describing how empty the cities felt, with abandoned cars and looting, the constant patrols and freezing nights believe it or not
and how many (not all locals) where "submissive" to the Portuguese and were expecting their return
he saw an MPLA soldier throw a mortar round to knock down a fruit from a tree which detonated, killing a bunch of men, the blood was a terrible sight
later in a patrol over a bridge his unit was ambushed where he jumped down and laid suppressive fire which routed the UNITA, most of them dropped their own guns as they fled
he never answered if he had killed anybody
he returned completely healthy and fine to his family, today is his birthday 81 years old
i have always been proud of him
which is very good considering all the wounded cubans that came back, missing arms and sometimes blind
some people came back intact but not in mind
Important to know angola and cuba has today very good relations, and they trade alot with each other, angola even operates oil drills in the gulf of mexico with cuban assistance
cuba also sells them some armored vehicles
"he saw an MPLA soldier throw a mortar round to knock down a fruit from a tree which detonated, killing a bunch of men, the blood was a terrible sight" how, why, what
@@unsrescyldas9745 My grandpa arrived on the scene immediately after the explosion,
a witness in the scene told him the victim picked up an unexploded bomb, and carelessly threw it, supposedly to get a fruit from a tree. I do not know any details of how it actually happened
Como se llama tu abuelo? Apellido
@@unsrescyldas9745 totally true what he says. I worked in the archives of the Institute for the History of Cuba when I was studying my first degree (History) and one day I had to help a colleague with the documentary collection of the fallen in the war in Angola and the number of stupid accidents that occurred in that war is awesome. Here are two other examples: one day a soldier playing with his weapon killed a comrade. And another time a soldier went to bathe in a river and never appeared. This was told to me by my dad who was in the Ethiopian war: one of his companions taking a bath with a large aluminum can, the can fell and he injured himself between the toes of one foot, this was when they were stationed in the desert. Since there was no doctor and only the company toilet, the wound got worse and worse until he died of gangrene.
What kind of idiot throws a MORTAR round to get a fruit?
"The first question is 'Why Angola?'"
0:20 I see what you did there.
I don’t get it
He says "well" and briefly shows a picture of a well
Yeah, that joke was well done
@@johnfraire6931 ba dum tss
Because spainish and Portuguese are rivals i guess and their kids ......
My dad was gonna be sent off to Angola when he was in the Cuban Militias a s Truck driver but he was so short he was allowed a pardon to not serve cause he could barely drive
Is it okay to laugh?
I'm 6'6"
That's fucking hilarious too bad his son became a weeb, where do you live now tho, US?
Being a manlet saved his life, how funny and curious.
@@RyoKasai25 well when you're like old man peanut from the simpsons and you can barely touch the pedals it's not conducive to military service
MANLETS RISE UP
Cuba played a part in a lot of African wars. For example they basically won the Ethiopian Somali war for the Ethiopian side.
Great point. I believe Cuba sent Che to advise the Algerian and Polisario anticolonial movements as well
Cuba probably intervened directly or indirectly in more countries than the USSR xD (Ignoring Eastern Europe ofc).
Ya they helped algeria against morocco in the sand war 1963 , they were truly very helpful towards african social countries
@@xernobell7845 The Morocco/Algeria war was as inevitable politicallyas it was morally senseless. Truly a deplorable outcome.
@@grontelp77 I love the song about "comandante Che Guevara" but when I sing it I replace his evil name with something decent like "Don fulano" (de tal).
In the 80s Cuba was considered a middle power and an influential country in Latin America by boosting a well trained and equiped military.
All of this was of course financed by soviet loans and the purchase of cuban sugar by the USSR.
That's cool. The USA wants to use military force to bully the world, and the USSR is willing to buy sugar and make loans.
Gee, I wonder who the bad guys are
Teacher: today we will be learning about Cuba in angola
me: *Visible Confusion*
Black Ops II players: my time has come
"What's an Angola?"
More surprising part are schools teaching about this.
I know right.
When your so early there's no "Death to the MPLA" memes
Jaim Rajin ..... I see ur a man of culture . But stop watching brother we must fight the MPLA 🎵🎶Du na na na naaaaaa na ne na na🎵🎶
@@lucianogardelli10 our journey to victory has began
DEATH TO THE MPLA
@@rayh6118 NO
yeah im late af and only found 2
DEATH TO THE MPLA
0:33 “DEATH TO THE MPLA!!!!!” -that one guy from black ops 2
bruh you made the joke first
Was about to say that
His name is Jovas Zavimbi
“FIGHT, MY BRODAAAS!!!”
@@ShakaZuluImpi not only that; but he's the god damn leader!
One thing that's interesting about this conflict, is that it became so muddled that at one point there were Cuban soldiers defending MPLA oil rigs exporting oil to the U.S. from American backed UNITA soldiers who were trying to capture the 'american' oil rigs.
Not that surprising. Consider that the United States is currently militarily occupying a chunk of Syria rich in oil and agriculture, both to steal the oil and prevent the Syrian government from rebuilding its war-devastated country.
USA got into a right muddle about this war.
Cuba invaded Angola because they had the financial backing of James Bisonnette, the Byzantinian financier extraordinaire.
james bissonnete meme begins
That is a lie
@@jamesbissonette4438 gib me moneys please
@@peepingtom9342 no
The Bis pulls a lot of strings so it’s not surprising
“Why did Cuba invade Angola?”
Me: what?
Black ops 2
Cuba had money to try breeding cat sized cows and invade angola, but the cars were from the 60's. *communism*
@@princesstinklepanties2720 Actually it was all the way around. Cuba went on mercenary missions to other third world countries. It was a way to funnel money to the country. It was called Internationalists service. There were military branches but also civilian particularly health and infrastructure (roads, water plants etc). Not great quality but it was a way to make money and advance in the system.
As a portuguese this was the first time I’ve heard of Cuban and ZA in the Angolan civil war as well.... mind blown
I knew about it since my dad was almost drafted into the war so when veterans came back they talked about it and on how Cuba was the first to set foot after the Portuguese withdrawal from Angola
"Why did Cuba invade Angola?"
Cuba invaded Angola?
Cuba trying act to be like his big papa USSR.
Обычная катка в HOI4
Why *wouldn't* they invade Angola?
North Korea is now working in Africa. They've partnered with the Democratic Republic of the Congo numerous times in recent years.
You should play black ops 2
*"HERE THEY COME, HERE THEY COME MY BROTHERS! FIGHT MY BROTHERS!!"*
*"OUR JOURNEY TO VICTORY HAS BEGUN, DEATH TO THE MPLA"*
I have some sad news my brothers the MPLA has won
@@joemama-mk4zz and they still rule Angola today
@@joemama-mk4zz And Jonas Savimbi died few months before the war ended if I'm not mistaken
@@SiPakRubah well shit welp MISSION FAILED WILL GET EM NEXT TIME
And that's how Castro and Mandela became besties
Real recognizes real, from one Titan among men to another
@@degamispoudegamis dayummm owned
Obama
@@degamispoudegamis Mandela just liked everyone that helped him
Mandela pre-Robben Island was very much a leftist revolutionary; dude went to Algeria to learn how to successfully perform guerrilla warfare.
I was a young teenager when this happened, and I REALLY didn’t understand it. This video would have helped me a lot back then. I just saw newspaper and TV reports about Cuban troops in Angola and thought “That’s pretty weird!” The articles and TV reports didn’t explain why Cuba was there, which made it hard for a teenager to understand what was going on. I just figured it was just more Cold War weirdness (which was pretty common back then).
Apartheid was the reason, that is why Cuba was called to help with fighting it in Angola. It is almost never said on TV or any analysis.
Cuba in fact was there by request of the Soviet Union who supplied all the logistics and armament for the war and Cuba supplied all the manpower or cannon meat as they say.
@@elierfernandezguerra yeah right, Fidel Castro whose country population is like 80% blacks or mixed races cared about apartheid. So explain then to me why the government elites of Cuba are whites in a 95% composition l 😆😆😆
Probably Fidel Castro loved apartheid too.
@@Befree898 -- In fact, Cuba sent troops and its own armaments at the request of the MPLA in government.
@@TubeDisabuser all armament Cuba ever had, and still have today was DONATED by the Soviet Union. Only thing they have bought over the years is some police gear. They are totally broken and they were even more broken before the war in Angola started.
I said donated because Putin a few years ago in 2014, just cancelled the 90% of Cuban debt to Russia ascending to 35 billions of dollars. So Cuba still owes 3.5 billions to Russia and you can be sure they aren't paying it either.
I remember watching "The Gods Must Be Crazy 2" as a kid in the late 80s, and being baffled about the gag with 2 soldiers, one of them white Cuban the other black African, and I just couldn't understand what why how in the hell is Cuban army fighting a war in Africa?
You've seen it too?
That was my childhood favourite.
Cuba was in Angola fighting against imperialism!!!
You just blew my mind. I hadn't thought of that and I love that movie.
Little know fact, North Korea also fought on Africa soil against Imperialism.
@Caesar Sanchez lucky for who? I have been to Angola and Cuba. The people of Cuba are much better off.
Both Cuba and Angola are poor, but the people of Cuba have Great Free Health Care, Great Free Education and Cuba is only poor because of the blockade. Angola is poor because of Western Imperialism, that places corrupt leaders in charge that sellout their people, resources, and country.
For those wondering, MPLA stands for Movimento Popular de Liberação Angolana (Portuguese for Popular Movement for Angolan Liberation). No idea what UNITA stands for though.
National Union For The Total Independence Of Angola
Basically an alliance of anti communist groups
@@gerritkruger4014 So União Nacional para a Independência Total da Angola?
(If you can't tell, I'm Portuguese)
@@zap3231 😂no thanks for that
It stands for
U - Morte ao
N - M
I - P
T - L
A - A
When you just wanted to be independent of your colonial overlord, Portugal, but find your country now in a proxy war between the superpowers of South Africa and Cuba
LMFAO, South Africa an Cuba a super power? That's a joke. South Africa was a puppet of the United States and the United Kingdom. Cuba did what was correct, they Angola the same chance Cuba had been given. They help to throw the yoke of imperialism off and choose their own destiny.
@@vnorm2907 “That’s a joke.” Ty, that’s why I wrote it
@@scottgrey3337 I was speaking on it being a proxy war between South Africa and Cuba.
@@vnorm2907 Fair enough, but if we can agree that I’m not seriously claiming that either side is a superpower, than I’m also probably not literally describing the actual political situation there.
@@vnorm2907 Cuba doing what was correct, ye because there totally weren't other reasons for doing so
0:20 that well joke did not go unappreciated.
Tools for fighting an african civil war:
-machete
-ak47 dual mag w/ grenade launcher
-child soldiers to man those weapons
they do have a smaller hit box though, so it’s a good idea
No african civil war would be complete without a toyota pick up truck w/ a 50 cal.
Don't forget a free for all you can't have only two sides fighting a clear war gotta be atleast 5 militias
@@shetos1233 5 militias, soviet, us, pakastani, chinese and british all backing opposing sides
Dont forget the UN brokered cease fire that gets violated 100 times a day.
South Africa: We got this bois
Also South Africa: *Why do I hear Guantanamera?*
You're everywhere
@@HBC101TVStudios I swear to God I see him everywhere. He's got some good taste in UA-cam videos.
@@G3700L The algorhythm is congregating us
30000
History matters is one of the most entertaining channels combining well researched history with humour and delivered in a great way so I really hope that one day they can make longer videos again and UA-cam changes it’s stupid policies
Cuba fighting South Africa in Angola has such an AoE2 energy.
Cuba couldn't have done it without James Bisonette's financial support.
james bissonnete meme begins
The day he isn't a patiron is the day the world ends.
Thats not true
You've got to love the massive short circuit in global politics needed to make Cuba and South Africa fight an undeclared war against each other.
I think you’re overstating their enmity for one another. Cuba was fighting for communism, for the MPLA, more so than fighting South Africa.
Likewise, South Africa was fighting its Border War, of which the Angolan War was just one theater.
Great Episode! My Father Served in the Cuban Army as an Artillery Operator during the second war/phase, he was Conscripted at 16-17
I see that my home country of south africa and cuba both used conscription
oh yeah I remember that, my great uncle served in the war
as a cuban solder and brought back souvenirs
That’s dope I’m anti communist but he sounds cool since they were probably forced to
A friend of my parents also served there
@@cubanenjoyer1325 that’s cool
I remember reading for school comparing Cuban intervention in Angola to US intervention in Vietnam that a big difference was that Cuba never faced a shortage of volunteers to go to Angola
That might be overall though and Cuba may have had to force specialists to go
@@glamorousman4013 Why are you against communsm?
The only thing missing in the video was the huge support the USSR gave in logistics and armaments, in addition to yearly monetary support, to Cuba to aid it in its intervention in Angola. The Cubans spilled their blood for their cause there, and the Soviets were the ones mostly paying for it. I remember Cubans in Angola constantly being referred to as surrogate troops, in the US press and other publications throughout the 1980's. With this aside, great video!
@Joe Moer yeah and south africans returned home with nothing except losing.
And the US support for FNLA, and then UNITA and South Africa. It's obvious that the 2 cold war super powers would not be blind to what was going on in Angola, even if it was not a top priority...
Yeah, scumbag US media always sees other countries being helped by another world power and say it's evil
@@lcg3092Yeah I’m sure KGB and CIA had advisors out there. No proof that they did though. However that is probably more likely than not.
@@davideastman979 there is actually proof. An Ex-CIA agent wrote a book. It's called "in search of an enemy". Both powers where active. There actually where Romanian, East German and Soviet troops on the ground. As well as mercenaries from South Africa and Europe with US support
This 3-minute video helped me understand the Angolan civil war better than documentaries.
1:16 the fact that History Matters used the FMLN over the Sandinistas makes me proud of being Salvadoran.
@Non Filios Tuos Videbis Vacillantes 'throws history book'
@Non Filios Tuos Videbis Vacillantes Frente Farabundo Marti de Liberación Nacional
Or in english: National Liberation Front Farabundo Marti
@@Guanaco17 and what were they trying to archive ?
@@hahaha5290 overthrow the goverment. Instrestingly the army deposed the facist salvadoran leaders already but the FMLN rebelled anyway.
@@hahaha5290 and after the peace treaty they became a legal political party. They won the presidental election in 2009 and 2014. They are decaying after the last elections (2019).
I truly enjoy that you elabirate on South Africa's history. I hope you find more of these stories that you can show. It is truly inspiring to see my home country being more recognized.
Of coarse i would like SA to not be insulted in comments as a "racist"or"fasciast state"
@@YcRNF-ZA But it was racist and fascist at the time.
@@BlackDoveNYC Racist yes, Fascist no, not even close.
Angola: hey um who are you
Cuba: *YOUR BEST FRIEND*
Angola: what
Cuba: well your only friend, that makes me your best FRIEND!!
It would also become and an Ethiopia's best friend.
*The Internationale plays in the distance*
*Meanwhile Polish dictator visits North Korea*
Cuba did not invade Angola, but saved from apartheid imperialism
0:20 please don't ever stop with the _well_ thing
Ever
Cuba: Central America is free Communist real estate!
US: What did I just hear?
Cuba: Umm..... Let support Angola instead.
US: Yeah, thats what I thought, Russia.
@Jay Kemme they didn't send their military
@Jay Kemme there was no direct action by the cuban army in the continent, just training and funding
@Jay Kemme that’s the point
@Jay Kemme they got involed in angola for two reasons they would be paid by Mpla government to help in war and cuba would get most resources from angola.
As a History fan, I never really understood this conflict growing up, if they video was done back then, it would have been GREAT help.
makes me so happy to see history channel get millions of views
Do one on the Indonesian anti-communist purges. Millions died because of it and a CIA-backed dictator was installed.
I know, not a pleasant moment in the Cold War.
Wait...Indonesia is in South America???
Shocked to hear the cia would do something like this
@@juanguzman9031 I'm not. Despite much surprise and shock in the UN (which amounts to nothing) states like the USA (and other states, mind you.) think in a very opportunistic manner, and the USA was no different. I'm sure you'd find dozens of such incidents made by the USSR too, like its invasion of Afghanistan, its involvement in Eastern Europe and the various wars it supported across Africa, which, unsurprisingly, were as bloody as they come.
I blame neither state (From a purely apathetic point of view) in their opportunism, I blame the leaders who either were too naïve or didn't bother to think that these states were merely using them and that when they outlive their usefulness, they'll be deposed and, surprise surprise, not have much popular backing in the streets. It's what happened to Indonesia's leader. I'm no American or Russian, but I think this is what it amounts to.
Obviously you could have said that comment as a joke, but I wanted to share my opinion.
@@souvikrc4499 when it comes to the Cold War, when is it ever a good moment? I do admit as a US American, my government did more damage for the most that I'm more amazed we're still in somewhat good terms with the rest of the world. You tell me on how that works.
Ok
Which one of you played hearts of iron in a very sick way?
And didn't invited me!
Como vas a ser de rasin
Do “why Malaysia used the American flag” next
Federal system yo
@@Snoweagle0 the American flag has a lot of meanings too it other than the style of government
Also liberia
Look up the flag of the Majapahit as well as the flag of the East India Company. That's where the inspirations for the Malaysia's flag come from.
@@yassineszn17 Well Liberia was founded by Americans as a home for free slaves. That’s why the Liberian flag and American flag are similar. But that’s not the only American influence left on Liberia. For example, Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, named after US President James Monroe.
2:52 Well, I’m not complaining.
I've lived in Angola for eight years. Thanks for this video. Maybe someday you could make a part II about the civil war after the 1992 elections. Or another about Cabinda. Lots of stories to tell in Africa!
This is awesome. You'd do great covering the Ogaden War too. Definitely one of the most Cold War-ish moments of the Cold War.
"Stop Watching this brother, we have to fight the MPLA"
I'm glad you covered this my father was sent there at 16 and still had PTSD from it at 56
Oh, so that's were the MPLA meme came from
Yep
Duh
Thanks for answering the questions we didn't know we had ❤
Omg this is actually so useful for my uni interview on friday bc I talked about this war in my personal statement, thanks!
I got the offer lmao
The well joke is one of the best running gags on this channel
History Matters video: exists
James Bisonette comments: is for me?
Me reading the title:
"They did what now???"
It's good to see more information about this particular conflict within the Cold War. I always felt there wasn't enough coverage of what happened in Africa at least when compared to Asia or Latin America.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy 2" finally makes sense. I never understood why there was a Cuban soldier in Africa but never got around to finding out.
That was a crappy movie. The first one was much better. We will likely never see either again, as they're no longer PC
“LETS GO, MY BROTHERS!! DEATH TO THE MPLA!!”
Black Ops, anyone?
@magyarmem Horváth Black Ops 2
The second largest guerrilla group during the Portuguese Colonial Wars isn't mentioned, the FLNA was backed by the US, Zaire, and Israel against the MPLA. Just outside the capital and advancing from the North they were stopped by Cuba's immediate (and surprise) intervention in the war. The FLNA with 22,000 troops that were largely with poor morale fled and later were shattered by the Cuban intervention.
The interesting part is that Cuba would also join the Ethiopian Somali War and the Arab Israeli Conflict in their quest for spreading communism throughout Africa.
Castro: “here’s our golden opportunity to show off”
Castro a year after: “I can see where this gets difficult. No wonder they couldn’t kill me” *Contemplative cigar smoking during a sunset
Interesting to hear about other battles fought by other countries in the 20th century, that wasn’t WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Gulf War, or Somalia. If it weren’t for HM, I probably wouldn’t ever know that other modern countries fight and go to war as well. Sure I could google it, but I wouldn’t know where to start. This channel makes it informative and entertaining at the same time. Thanks HM
0:46 during the Portuguese Colonial War, there were reports of Cuban combatants in the Angolan theatre. I think a few were captured. There was even a suspicion (later seen to be unfounded) that Che Guevara was there.
Huh? Not to be that guy, but hadnt comrade Che been killed by then. What year was this? Are you confusing this with his failed attempts to start a revolution in the congo or Bolivia, both actually happened with the latter leading to his death. Also, Che would definitely have written about it if he had gone to Angola. Unless this comment is on about the Angolan war of independence? Which would make sense to the extent Che was still alive, but no real sense due to Che being quite busy back then. I guess it was revealed to be unfounded though.
Either way, dont confuse this to be a political attack. I am a communist and love Che Guevara, and to a lesser extent I like Cuba. But this was just me trying to understand what you meant or try and disprove it. I couldnt find anyhting on any Portugese colonial wars, so those 2 wars were the only ones I saw relevant to talk about
@@mrsynth2643 Yes, the Portuguese Colonial War (in Angola) is the same conflict as the Angolan war of independence, just said from, well, the two different perspectives :)
There were a lot of cubans in Angola from 1975 to 1991 or so, but some were there as combatants/advisors throughout the 60's all the way to 1975. And a handful were captured in missions of the portuguese army. In one of these operations intelligence (wrongly) reported Che was in Angola, but that turned out to be fake
@@viperaputakeyteaparyou8237 alright, thanks for informing me. Have a nice day and thank you for being peaceful and rational about this kind of topic, you'll be surprised how rare that is :)
1970: Cuba: Africa is the place to be
USSR: Nah
USA: Nah
2020: China: Africa is the place to be
USSR: Doesn’t exist
USA: Barely exists
How does the US barely exist?
@@grahamturner2640 in africa it doesn't
@@masoodjalal1152 it exists in Africa through the IMF and world bank.
France: if i lay still no one will notice
fun fact: at one point, Cuban troops guarded US oil fields in Angola against Marxist-Leninist rebels
That must have been awkward for everybody involved.
Lmao.
Never thought I’d ever read something like that
When US attacked Libya in an attempt to kill Gaddafi .... heavily armed troops turned up at the oil installations in Southern Libya. The American and British workers were very concerned 😟
(Gaddafi had sent extra troops with instructions to ensure no oil workers were ill treated, harmed or attacked in any way.) He was worried local leaders or units might assault the foreigners.
Nice that he thought of them
please tell me you have some intel of the source that is to good to not know
I remember in the '80's listening to a lot of news stories about AIDS in Cuba and how the involvement with Angola was cited as a transmission factor. Many Cuba soldiers contracted AIDS in Angola and brought it back home to the island nation. Of course, this was in a time when AIDS was still a taboo subject in Cuba, barely less so in the U.S., and it appears a convenient scapegoat was needed to assign blame. Later, some of the U.S. media reported many Cubans with AIDS were simply sent off to sanitariums to die of the disease.
Yes I remember there was a myth told in South America that it was Cuban soldiers who had sex with the blue monkeys that brought it back.
United States: “we don’t like Cuba, but we don’t like South Africa more”
The CIA helped SA a lot in the war
US and UK supplied lots of weapons and equipment to help South Africa. That is why when Soviet Union fell, the Western aid to South Africa stopped and Apartied couldnt survive anymore.
It's actually more like "we fucking hate Cuba, and we like South Africa, but liking South Africa will get us cancelled on Twitter"
@@Dalt1n999 Exactly
The US were arming and funding two "rebel" movements in Angola to assist South Africa install a puppet regime in Angola. The aim was to have an Apartheid Bloc of racist or puppet states surrounding South Africa, composed of Angola, South West Africa (Namibia), Rhodesia and Mozambique, but lost the latter two after they became independent.
The many Proxy Wars within the overall framework of the Cold War essentially boiled down to the USA and USSR and their families being dragged along to a barbecue because they were invited and their kids are friends. The barbecue happens, and the children start arguing about who has the best toys, eventually boiling down to a "My Dad can beat up your Dad!" argument, whilst desperately trying to get their attention, as the Dads ignore them whilst awkwardly making small talk and the occasional passive-aggressive dig at each other
This sounds like an alternative history thing :D
Not entirely revisionist, but rather one sided with zero nuance. It's basically the Cuban justifications after the war.
It misses out on many key points such as why SA got it involved in Angola in the first place.
On second thought, it's every bit as biased as all history tends to be. It's perfect.
My favorite part of the MPLA declaring Democracy in Angola is when José Eduardo dos Santos was President of Angola from 1979-2017
A shining example of Democracy
'hmmm, I wonder why he kept being re-elected?'
Social Democracy is still labeled "socialism" in the United States.
0:30 I remember a game where one important character said "Death to the MPLA!"
Well the guy on the right is the important character you're talking about; his name is Jonas Savimbi.
cod black ops 2
“ get ready to defeat the MPLA my brothers “
Jonas Savimbi, the leader of UNITA and the "death to the MPLA" meme guy, was originally Marxist. He changed side to secure aid from the US and South Africa.
I looked that up because of your comment and I was surprised to see it's true. I didn't find why he switched though. I'm guessing he was more interested in obtaining power than he was to create any sort of different society. Nothing but another warlord from the little I've seen.
This is why I love this channel, I read titles like this and think "hang on, they did what??"
My two favorite names are PHIL DE OINK OINK and THE PASTRY SECTION! hehe
You didn't mention this, but I was reading government documents at the time, the cuban fighters arrived mere _HOURS_ before luanda (the capital) was going to fall, that's how desperate the situation was
Who needs the aid of Cuba when you have James Bissonette
I'm here after watching another day of life.
Congratulations, you're my first Angolan rabbit hole video.
Didn’t know Cuba intervened in Angola before! I love this channel. Stay well out there everybody, and Jesus Christ be with you friends.😊
Thank you beautiful person god bless you too
Calling the battle of Cuito Cuanavale a decisive MPLA/Cuban victory dramatically over-simplifies things. It was a tactical victory for SA/Unita, but a strategic defeat. It was however enough to convince both parties and their respective backers in Washington and Moscow that a negotiated peace was desirable.
Africa: Yo!
Hungary: Jó!
I literally only know about this war because of the "Gods Must be Crazy" movie. Well done!
STOP WATCHING THIS BROTHA,
WE MUST DEFEAT THE MPLA.
Death to the MPLA
ATurkishGamer STOP WATCHING PORN BROTHA
WE MUST FIGHT DE MPLA
@@fillyourasswithfireanddest4875 YES BROTHA
OUR JOURNEY TO VICTORY HAS BEGUN
@@xxxxxxxsnorlax DEATH TO THE MPLA !!!!!!
South Africa: You can’t defeat me
Angola: I know...but he can
*C U B A*
South Africa really went DEATH TO THE MPLA
Great summary, also worth mentioning that on addition to the named countries, German, Romanian and Soviet troops where on the ground as well as many European mercenaries involved.