Okay, so let's get a discussion of modern African history going, but this time let's actually follow the rules of the board (i.e., pic unrelated).
Any discussion or questions (it's okay if you don't know something! I'll be glad to help answer!) about Africa are welcome, but keep the dates between around 1880 and 1991, and let's try for now only to discuss Central and Southern Africa.
I've come up with a few topics to get us started:
Mozambique: why did the People's Republic of Mozambique last for such a short period? Why did the civil war last so long? Is there a difference in colonial style of the Portuguese versus the British that led to this situation? Can something be similar be said for the Congo?
Zimbabwe: Although the Rhodesian GDP saw a downturn following the UDI, between Zimbabwean independence in 1987 and 1989, Zimbabwe saw a sharp rise in GDP followed by a rapid decrease that led to one of the greatest humanitarian and economic crises of the early '90's (that continues to this day). What's responsible for this failure? More generally, how did Mugabe transform from a quixotic, kind revolutionary leader to a corrupt dictator under a democratically elected system?
Second wave colonialism in Kenya: to what extent were freedom fighters (such as the Kikuyu-ethnic Mau Mau movement) and to what extent was the lack of viability of second wave colonialism responsible for the collapse of the British administration in Kenya? Was second wave colonialism viable (including concepts like traditional law and indirect rule), and how does it compare to the other contemporary racially-motivated methods of administration in post-UDI Rhodesia and Apartheid South Africa?
>>956175
How big was direct Soviet involvement in Africa? And I don't mean sending equipment or advisors, I mean boots on the ground soldier sort of things. I know that there were some in Angola but I would like to know more.
>>956182
Zimbabwe soldiers were trained with North Korea. Cuba sent military advisors somewhere as well
>>956182
I actually don't know, but that's a very good question. I imagine that there were some special forces operations, but I don't know the extent of their involvement. I'll try to look into it and get back to you.
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I don't know shit but I'll bump for ya lad
Just bumping with a pic and a Christ Blignaut song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS6VmS27CQs&nohtml5=False
Zimbabwe's economy went down the shitter by taking wealthy white farmers land and (justifiably) giving the land to blacks. It isn't race that's the issue; it was giving the land to [black] farmers who didn't have experience with suitable farmland or were just bad farmers. This, coupled with the fact the Zimbabwean government basically though inflation was just a fancy word, lead to their economic downfall.
>>956294
Furthermore, Zimbabwe is practically inhospitable for foreign investment. Institutions are corrupt, there is no trust between locals and government, and restrictions to 'de-colonize' Zimbabwe have made investment a nightmare. If Zimbabwe were to fix its institutions and open up to investment, it'd be great.
>hundreds of starving people willing to do anything for food or money
>large English speaking population
Zimbabwe could easily become a manufacturing or back-office haven, but it's government policy and a culture of mistrust that are preventing this.
>>956294
Eh, I don't buy that. Compulsory land redistribution didn't start until 1992 when Mugabe was dealing with opposition due to the economic crisis. Before that, it was willing buyer willing seller.
I will agree that putting unskilled farmers in charge of a great deal of the country's land contributed to the economic crisis, but inflation rates exceeding 3000% was probably the biggest contributing factor.
Have a ZANLA fight song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gxerTyYaDs
>>956175
(From the Zimbabwe paragraph)
>What's responsible for this failure?
What's responsible for the economic failure of a country that got taken over by third-world nationalist communists?
>how did Mugabe transform from a quixotic, kind revolutionary leader to a corrupt dictator
Is this bait?
>>956344
>Is this bait?
The post was designed to get replies, so yeah, the Zimbabwe paragraph was basically just to get responses from Rhodieboos like you so the thread would be bumped when I get off 4chan for the day.
>>956344
To more seriously reply to your comment:
>What's responsible for the economic failure of a country that got taken over by third-world nationalist communists?
Do you have anything to support the significant adoption of socialist policies by Zimbabwe? I was under the impression that the portrayal of the commies vs. westies was just a cold-war narrative based to galvanize the Rhodesian public against the rebels and was just justified because of where the rebels were getting funding from. This doesn't seem to have any basis in the political reality of ZANLA or ZAPU, though.
>Is this bait?
Mugabe was initially a democratically elected leader who was educated in a Catholic school. People who knew him before the '90's saw him as a man who just wanted to improve the lives of Zimbabweans, and he did for a short time.
Watch "Robert Mugabe: What Happened" to see some interesting interviews about his tenure as a revolutionary and the early years of his presidency. It also largely answers my question in the OP.
