List of abbreviations Part 1. Angola 1. Armed struggle begins 2. Zigzags of history 3. From the Portuguese revolution to Angola's independence 4. Second war of liberation 5. Troubles again Part 2. 6. 'General Konstantin' 7. Cuito Cuanavale and after 8. Moscow and FRELIMO. 9. Transitional period. 10. Independent Mozambique. Machel's death. Part 3. Zimbabwe. 11. ZAPU or ZANU? 12. Patriotic Front 13. Lancaster House 14. Moscow and independent Zimbabwe Part 4. Namibia 15. SWANU or SWAPO? 16. Co-operation broadens 17. Armed struggle intesifies. 18. SWAPO's victory Part 5. Last but not least: South Africa 19. ANC: co-operation begins 20. Helping to return home. 21. 'Rebuilding' or destroying? POSTSCRIPT Soviet personalities References Index

'An illuminating, well researched and accessible account of the forces at work and the factors determining policies at particular times' -- Raymond Suttner, Professor, University of South Africa, Pretoria, author of The ANC underground, former ANC and SACP leader and one time political prisoner'The Soviet Union's support for Southern African nationalism against Western imperialism is a crucial case study. There is no better author [on this subject] than Vladimir Shubin' -- Patrick Bond, author of Looting Africa, and professor at University of KwaZulu-Natal'Vladimir Shubin has unrivalled knowledge of the Soviet role in Africa in the decades of the Cold War. His personal yet scholarly account will be required reading for anyone interested in the fascinating story of the liberation of southern Africa' -- Chris Saunders, University of Cape Town