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TOPIC 6:
THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND A NEW
WORLD ORDER: 1989 TO THE PRESENT

‘Gorbachev observes a crushed hammer and sickle’ 1991

[The Waterbury Republican and The Middletown Press, 1991.]

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1. THE END OF THE COLD WAR: THE EVENTS OF 1989

For more than 40 years the two superpowers – USA and USSR – competed with one another
for global dominance. By the 1980s, however, the USSR was facing serious economic
problems and in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader introduced new far-reaching
reforms to solve these problems. These reforms gathered momentum beyond his control –
people in Eastern Europe overthrew their communist governments, by 1991 Gorbachev was
out of office and the Soviet Union had collapsed.

1.1 GORBACHEV’S REFORMS IN THE SOVIET UNION EASTERN EUROPE

a) THE SITUATION IN THE USSR IN 1985
When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, the USSR was
facing severe problems. Its economic resources were being drained by the Cold War arms
race, which included the SDI or so-called Star Wars program. In addition, in 1978, the
Soviets became involved in the civil war in Afghanistan when they began supporting the
pro-communist government led by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA)
against the Mujahedeen, an anti-communist Islamic guerrilla movement which was being
supplied with weapons by the USA. The then Soviet leader, Brezhnev, feared that Islamic
extremism might influence the large Muslim population in the Central Asian regions of
the Soviet Union. Thus, between 25 December 1979 and 1 January 1980, more than
50 000 Soviet troops were sent to Afghanistan to restore law and order and to protect
the PDPA. Despite superior weapons, the Soviet army was unable to crush the resistance.
By 1985, more than 20 000 Soviet soldiers and about one million Afghans had died in
Afghanistan and the war becoming very unpopular in the USSR. The war had become the
Soviet’s Vietnam! It had become a war that could not be won by the USSR, and it
continually drained the resources and morale of the USSR.

The Soviet economy was on the verge of collapse. Factories and mines were decrepit and
out of date. Backward industry was causing increasing environmental problems – e.g.
the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion of 1986. Industrial and agricultural
production declined and as essential requirements e.g. essential consumer goods,
healthcare and housing could no longer be adequately met, the Russian people grew
increasingly desperate and angry. In addition, absenteeism, crime, alcoholism and drugs
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were out of control in Soviet towns. [An interesting fact is that the life expectancy of
Soviet men had fallen from 67 in 1964 to 62 in 1980, mainly as a result of alcoholism.]
Those in power had many privileges but showed little interest in improving the lives of
ordinary citizens. To add to this, growth of nationalism in Soviet republics and in Eastern
Europe. Also created problems

Gorbachev recognized that there were problems and that major changes were needed,
but at NO time did he intend to abandon or dismantle communism in the USSR. The
changes he was to implement were to:

1. Sweeping reforms in the Communist Party and Soviet system in the Soviet Union
– perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness)
2. Ended the arms race with the USA and signed various arms reduction
agreements
3. Withdraw from Afghanistan
4. Stop Soviet interference in Eastern European satellite states like Poland,
Czechoslovakia and other Warsaw Pact countries.

Gorbachev’s internal reforms and his withdrawal from Afghanistan were welcomed by
Western leaders such as the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and the US
president, Ronald Reagan. His policies were, however, less popular in the Soviet Union.

NB: At no stage did Gorbachev intend to end the communist system or dismantle USSR.

b) GORBACHEV’S REFORMS
Perestroika, or ‘restructuring’ was aimed at rebuilding the Soviet economy by
reforming, NOT replacing, the communist system. To increase economic growth and
improve living standards a number of new laws, which enabled the economy to move
from a state-controlled or centrally planned economy to one in which market forces
played a major role, were introduced. This reshaping of the economy allowed private
businesses, which financed themselves by obtaining loans from banks, to exist – these
businesses could determine their own prices, production and marketing. Bankrupt
state-owned businesses were closed down. The state also withdrew many subsidies,
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leading to more realistic pricing based on supply and demand. People could buy and
sell at a profit and foreign investment encouraged. Foreign investment was
encouraged. … but …
• without State support and control, systems collapsed.
• prices and cost of living increased - especially food, housing & medical costs
• production remained low and shortages, resulting long queues for basic
goods;
• the Soviet GDP declined;’
• inflation and foreign debt increase sharply

Thus, for ordinary citizens life had not improved under Gorbachev. Thus, instead,
Gorbachev’s attempt to solve serious economic problems led to:
o the breakdown of a state-controlled economy and did not bring the
economic growth that people expected
o increased public dissatisfaction and increased criticism of Gorbachev and
glasnost.
o an attempted coup by conservatives in August 1991 – fails owing to
opposition from people and leadership of Yeltsin – announcement of
dissolution of USSR on 26 December 1991.

o Glasnost means ‘openness’. Until 1985 the Soviet state controlled all art, literature,
history, theatre, intellectual debate, media etc. Any criticism or the government
was banned or censored, but under glasnost freedom of speech and open debate on
issues dealing with the Soviet Union’s problems were encouraged. This meant
citizens could criticise the government without repercussions. Although the
government still controlled the press, newspapers and magazines could report
openly, and question the government. Many political prisoners were released.
History of USSR questioned – opening of archives. The aim of glasnost was to reform
– not to undermine the communist system.
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In addition, in 1989 Gorbachev allowed free elections for a new parliament, the
Chamber of People’s Deputies, in which opposition parties participated.

The openness initiated by Gorbachev led to vast public criticism and anger being
focused on the Soviet Government. While some conservative Communist Party
bureaucrats sought to resist change, others like Boris Yeltsin, a reform politician,
sought greater changes e.g. full democracy in a multi-party state1. Yeltsin’s criticism
of the Communist Party won him enormous popularity. Nationalist and religious
groups also demanded more freedoms.

The increased opposition to reforms would eventually lead to loss of control by

Communist Party.

o Elections led to rise of nationalists which in turn increased the demands for
autonomy. The rise of popular movements all over the USSR led to resistance
e.g.–
o Baltic States declare independence by March 1990 – thus the break-up of
the USSR begins.
o States of Eastern Europe challenge Soviet control
o Communist governments overthrown with little Soviet resistance
o Berlin Wall brought down in November 1990 loss of satellite states –
Warsaw Pact unravels.

Democratisation/ Demokratiya
In his attempt to revive Soviet politics, Gorbachev also introduced demokratiya or
democracy. Some forms of elections were allowed, but the aim was to continue to
ensure that the real power remained in the hands of the Communist Party. This
reform gave Soviet voters a greater choice.

1
Boris Yeltsin encouraged the break-up of the Soviet Union.
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Democratic election of candidates to the Communist Party of USSR. …but… − Led to

further calls for democratic processes. − Undermined Marxist principles of the USSR.

c) THE IMPACT OF GORBACHEV’S REFORMS

Gorbachev’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and his internal reforms were welcomed
by Western leaders such as the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and the US
president, Ronald Reagan. His policies were, however, less popular in the Soviet
Union. The aim of perestroika was to promote economic growth and improve the
standard of living, but this was not successful. Instead, without state support and
controls many systems collapsed. Prices and the cost of living increased dramatically
(e.g. food, housing and medical), production remained low and so there were
shortages and inflation soared. Inflation and foreign debt increased - life under
Gorbachev had not improved. As a result of these problems he lost support. Because
of glasnost people could now openly criticize the government and thus the
Communist Party control over the Soviet Union began to wane.

d) EASTERN EUROPE (Overview only – will not be tested)

Timeline of events in Eastern Europe, 1989

February: The Polish Round Table Talks take place in Poland between Solidarity,
The Roman Catholic Church and the Polish government
May Hungarian government opens border with Austria
June Free elections in Poland result in a Solidarity-led government coming
to power with Walesa as President
October Demonstrations in East Germany against communist governments
November 9 November: Berlin Wall is opened
Czechoslovakia’s Velvet revolution
Bulgaria’s communist government is overthrown
December Violent revolution in Romania

After the Second World War, most of Eastern Europe had come under Soviet control.
After the Warsaw Pact came into being in 1955, The USSR used troops from the
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Warsaw Pact countries, as well as its own army to put down any attempts at reform
in the satellite states, e.g. Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968).

By the 1980s people in the East European satellite states wanted change after 40
years of Soviet control. This led to growing and sustained protests to the overthrow
their communist governments. These protests were inspired by changes such as the
repealing of the Brezhnev Doctrine and other reforms within the Soviet Union itself,
Gorbachev’s indication that the Soviet Union would not intervene to maintain Soviet
control in East European satellite states and the events in Poland.

[Available at: < [Link]

[Link]> Accessed 30 June 2021]
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EVENTS IN POLAND – THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOLIDARITY

The first protests in Eastern Europe during the 1980s took place in Poland. Although
the communist governments in Eastern Europe had tried to crush the Christian
churches, the Roman Catholic Church in Poland remained strong. Almost all Poles
were Catholic, and the head of the Roman Catholic Church at the time, Pope John
Paul II,2 was Polish. The Pope was an outspoken critic of communism in Poland. In
1979 he made an influential home visit that inspired Polish Catholics to demand
greater freedom.

Poland was one of the poorest countries of Eastern Europe, but it had a strong
tradition of strikes among factory workers – these had at times forced government to
change policies. However, during the 1970s strikes were brutally suppressed.

By 1980, Poles had a very low standard of living, there were food
shortages, and the economy was riddled by debt. In July 1980,
an increase in the price of meat sparked a strike at among Polish
dockworkers. This strike set off a wave of strikes across the
country and attracted huge international attention. In August 1980, workers in the
Gdansk shipyard, the Lenin Shipyard, formed an independent trade union, Solidarity
led by Lech Walesa. Solidarity issued a list of ’21 demands’ to the Polish government
which included
• wage increases,
• the right to form free trade unions and to strike,
• an end to censorship and
• the right to broadcast Catholic services on radio and TV.

When the Polish government agreed to all of Solidarity’s demands, the trade union
membership increased from 3 million to 9 million in four months. Although they
were not a political party, many saw the trade union as an alternative to the

2
In 1978, a Polish priest, Karol Wojtyla, became Pope John Paul II. He encouraged Poles to resist communism
and gave huge moral support to the Solidarity uprising that started in 1980.
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communist government. While the government felt threatened by Solidarity they

did not act immediately. The Soviet Union, however, was concerned about the
development and believed that Solidarity was a threat to communist domination of
Eastern Europe. It was not prepared to let a trade union challenge the communist
government in power in Poland. Thus in December 1981 the Soviet Union acted –
its Red Army carried out ‘training exercises’ on the Polish border and General
Jarulzelski became leader of the Communist Party in Poland. Under pressure from
Moscow, the government now introduced martial law3 – Solidarity was banned and
10 000 leaders, including Walesa, were banned. Walesa was released in 1982 and in
1983 Walesa received the Nobel Prize for peace.

Although Solidarity had been banned, it continued to exert an influence, and from
1986, began to operate openly again, broadcasting its views on Radio Solidarity,
criticising the government and urging a boycott of the elections in 1988. It co-
operated closely with the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II visited Poland in 1983,
giving hope to opponents of the communists. In 1984 a priest who supported
Solidarity, Father Jerzy Popielusko, was beaten to death by the secret police. Support
for Solidarity was shown when ¼ million people attended his funeral.

The political mood in Poland changed when Gorbachev took over the leadership of
the USSR. People in the East European satellite states, including Poland, were given
new hope by Gorbachev’s reforms, wanting glasnost as well. Jarulzelski introduced
political reforms but failed to get the support of the people, largely as a result of
nationwide strikes organized by the still illegal Solidarity in 1988. This popular
discontent forced the government to open a dialogue with Solidarity and in January
1989 Solidarity and other political groups were recognised. The Polish Round Table
Talks meetings started in February 1989 and in June 1989, in the first free elections
in the communist bloc, Solidarity won a majority of seats. With two smaller parties
it formed the first non- communist government in the Soviet bloc. Lech Walesa

3
Martial law = rule of a country by the military instead of the government. It is normally temporary.
 P a g e | 10

became the first non- communist leader in Eastern Europe. This was a boost for
reformers elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

PROTESTS AND CHANGE IN EASTERN EUROPE

In March 1989 the communist governments in Eastern Europe were told not to rely
on the Red Army to keep them in power, and to listen to the demands of their people.
This prompted massive demonstrations in favour of change throughout Eastern
Europe. Their actions were effective in bringing an end to communist rule, and within
one year communist dictatorships had been replaced by democratic governments.
The changes started in Hungary and Poland.

In May 1989, the Hungarian government started dismantling the Iron Curtain
separating Hungary from the non-communist Austria. The Communist Party
renamed itself the Socialist Party and announced that freedom of speech and
movement was allowed and that democratic elections would be held.

After the reforms in Hungary, the open border between Hungary and Austria allowed
freedom of travel. By September1989 thousands of East Germans, used this
opportunity and travelled through Hungary to get to Austria and then made their
way to West Germany. When 50 000 moved in 3 weeks, the East German
government was so shocked it responded by closing its border with Hungary.
Consequently, huge demonstrations were held in East Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig.
Protestors called for an end to communist rule, demanding multiparty democracy
and civil rights. In October 1989, Gorbachev travelled to East Germany where he told
the East German leader, Erich Honaker, that he could not expect Soviet help to crush
demands for reform. Instead Gorbachev advised Honaker, to allow reform.

Honecker, refused to introduce perestroika and other reforms in East Germany. This
angered the East Germans and in the first week of November alone, 200 pro-
democracy demonstrations were held across the GDR, attended by 1.3 million
 P a g e | 11

protestors. Honecker ordered troops to fire on demonstrators. The troops,

however, refused to obey orders and Honecker was forced to resign.

In November 1989 thousand of people in East Berlin marched to the Berlin Wall.
When East German guards refused to fire on the demonstrators at the Wall, the
people began to chip away at the Wall by hand. Afterwards bulldozers were brought
in to dismantle it completely. The Berlin Wall, a symbol of communist domination in
Eastern Europe, no longer existed. In 1990 the people of East and West Germany
voted for the two countries to be reunited.

The fall of the Berlin Wall inspired people in the remaining Soviet satellite countries
to revolt. In November 1989 Czechoslovakia, Charter 77 activists, including Dubček
and Vaclev Havel, led peaceful student protests in support of political reform. As a
result the government opened its borders with the West and agreed to democratic
reforms. Within a month the Czechoslovakian government was replaced by a newly
elected democratic government. These events in Czechoslovakia are known as the
Velvet Revolution.4

In March 1990, Latvia, and then the other Baltic States, declared independence from
the USSR.
In less than a year communist dictatorships were replaced by democratically elected
governments, the Iron Curtain had disintegrated, the Berlin Wall was dismantled and
the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist. The Soviet control of Eastern Europe had come to
an end. Relations between the USA and Soviet Union improved and at a meeting
between Gorbachev, and the new US president, George Bush Snr, in December 1989,
the two leaders agreed that the Cold war was over.

THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE SOVIET UNION

The U.S.S.R. comprised 15 Soviet Republics, with the Russian Republic, centered on
Moscow, being the most dominant. While approximately half of the population was

4
Velvet Revolution because the changes took place smoothly, like velvet, without violence or many casualties.
 P a g e | 12

Russian, the other half was made up of more than a 100 different national minorities.
Nationalism now became an increasingly powerful force,

a) The impact of Gorbachev’s reforms

Gorbachev’s reforms (glasnost, perestroika and democratization) were intended to
regenerate the Soviet economy and to more firmly establish the communist
governments of the Soviet Union. He also believed that the Communist Party could
control the pace of change, but was soon proven wrong. His reforms were risky and
many Soviets have criticized the reforms. Some officials within the Communist party
bureaucracy resisted the reforms saying that Gorbachev betrayed the communist
vision and allowed capitalism to influence him. Others, like Boris Yeltsin (leader of the
 P a g e | 13

Russian republic within the USSR), said that reform did not go far enough. Yeltsin
called for full democracy, an end to the Communist party rule and the dissolution of
the USSR.

b) The impact of nationalism

As internal divisions weakened the Soviet Union, the different nationalities that made
up the Soviet Union called for autonomy. This feeling of nationalism was especially in
the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Gorbachev was not prepared to allow
for the disintegration of the U.S.S.R. and force was used to crush nationalist uprisings
e.g. in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Lithuania. But the popular movements in these
republics had too much support and resistance continued. In March 1990 Latvia
declared her independence. Lithuania and Estonia soon followed in declaring their
independence. Soon realizing how weak the central government was, other republics
within the USSR declared their independence.

c) The coup against Gorbachev and the break-up of the Soviet Union
By 1991, Gorbachev’s position as leader of the USSR was under threat. In August 1991,
while Gorbachev was away on holiday in the Crimea, a group of conservative
communists led by the head of the KGB tried to take over the USSR before it collapsed.
They tried to force Gorbachev to resign, but he refused, so they arrested him in the
Crimea and sent the army into Moscow to seize power. The coup failed when Boris
Yeltsin led the people of Moscow, who opposed the coup, onto the streets in a
demonstration of “people power”. They persuaded the soldiers to join them - as a
result only three people died. Yeltsin now sent a plane to bring Gorbachev back to
Moscow, but Yeltsin was the leader whom the people supported.

Gorbachev was replaced by Boris Yeltsin as President. In December 1991, Yeltsin

disbanded the Communist Party in Russia and formally ended the U.S.S.R. The U.S.S.R
was broken up; the republics were set free and the U.S.S.R was replaced by a
“Commonwealth of Independent States”.
 P a g e | 14

d) To what extent were Gorbachev’s reforms responsible for the collapse of the USSR?
Historians have debated this question and most have come to the conclusion that this
was one of the factors which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. They believe that
there were other factors which also led to the collapse and these include”
• Some believe that the ideological shift of perestroika occurred too quickly –
the shift went from portraying profit as evil to one of encouraging profit
through capitalism too rapidly. The same applies to the implementation of
glasnost. These historians believe that if the change had come earlier and
more gradually, the collapse may not have happened, or if it did, it would have
happened differently;
• The power of the Soviet Union rested on harsh authoritarian rule. once people
began to question this control, they were no longer prepared to accept it;
• The growth of nationalism and demands for independence in the different
Soviet republics undermined the unity of the USSR;
• Popular protest ensured support for the independence movements in the
different Soviet republics. It was ‘people power’ that played an important part
in defeating the attempted coup against Gorbachev.

Because of the collapse of the U.S.S.R., the Cold War ended. This was to have a major impact
on the two areas of international relations:
▪ The position of the U.S.A. in world affairs; and
▪ The political and economic well-being of many African countries, including South Africa.
 P a g e | 15

A TURNING POINT IN SOUTH AFRICA – THE IMPACT OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION
ON SOUTH AFRICA
a) The policy of Western governments towards South Africa
Under apartheid, the National Party was strongly anti-communist and said they were
faced with a 'Rooi Gevaar' or a 'Red Threat'. The apartheid state used the label
'communist' to justify its repressive actions against anyone who disagreed with their
policies.

During the Cold War, there was a contest for influence in Africa, between the US and
Western powers on the one hand, and the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc countries on
the other. Most of newly independent ex-colonies in Africa received military and
economic support from one of the Superpowers. The Western governments wanted
to ensure that the Soviet Union did not get control of vital mineral resources in these
countries or of strategic sea routes. Thus they were concerned when communist
governments came to power in Angola and Mozambique in 1975. As a result it suited
the Western powers to accept the ‘total onslaught’ propaganda of the Apartheid
government.

Consequently many Western governments supported South Africa, and even supplied
the government with military expertise and hardware, despite pressure from the UN
and OAU, who called for economic sanctions. The two most influential leaders who
promoted keeping contact with South Africa were the British Prime Minister,
Margaret Thatcher, and the US President Ronald Reagan. Both were strongly anti-
communist.

But by the late 1980s the Cold War was drawing to a close and South Africa was no
longer a significant pawn in Cold War politics. Thus Western governments began to
apply pressure on South Africa to end apartheid and start talks with the banned ANC.

b) Changing attitudes in South Africa

The collapse of the USSR in 1989 meant that the National Party could no longer use
communism as a justification for their oppression. It could no longer rely on Western
 P a g e | 16

backing for its anti-communist stance. At the same time the NP’s fear of a communist-
controlled ANC also diminished and for the first time it was prepared to negotiate with
the ANC. The ANC too, could no longer rely on the Soviet Union for economic
(financial) and military support. By the end of the 1980s, the Soviet Union was in
political and economic crisis, and it was increasingly difficult for the Soviet
Government to justify spending money in Africa.

c) Cuito Cuanavale and its impact

Even before the collapse of the USSR the SA government was forced to re-assess its
policies in southern Africa.
The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola in November 1987 was a turning point.
Between November 1987 and March 1988, both SA and UNITA troops were held back
by the Angolan and Cuban troops. Thousands died on both sides. When neither side
was able to win, it became clear that the enemies would have to find a way to end the
war.

By the late 1980s, therefore the USSR, who could no longer support the MPLA
government or the Cuban forces in Angola, and Cuba were as keen as the SA
government to get out of the war in Angola. In December 1988 the New York Accords
were signed between South Africa, Cuba and Angola. South Africa agreed to withdraw
from Namibia and the Cuban forces agreed to take their forces out of Angola.

In 1990 Namibia became independent. The peaceful transfer to majority rule in

Namibia in 1990 encouraged both the SA government and the ANC. The government
saw that majority rule did not necessarily mean the introduction of communism or
major economic changes. The ANC, which realised that the USSR would no longer
support liberation movements in southern Africa, hoped that South Africa would now
become a democratic state in which it would obtain majority rule.

d) De Klerk and the changes of 1989-90

The changing situation and the mounting pressures from mass protests in South Africa
led to tensions within the NP. This in turn led to a change of leadership in August
 P a g e | 17

1989, after which the new president, FW de Klerk, decided to embark on a policy of
reform. During 1989 several long-term political prisoners, including most of the
Rivonia trialists, were released. In February 1990 De Klerk announced the release of
Nelson Mandela, the unbanning of the ANC, PAC and SACP, permission for exiles to
return and the government’s willingness to negotiate an end to apartheid and the
establishment of a new and democratic constitution.

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe was a critical factor that led to change
in South Africa. De Klerk believed that organisations such as the ANC and SACP could
no longer rely on help from the USSR or the satellite states on which they had
previously depended – thus SA had lost its greatest enemy and the ANC and SACP their
supporters! De Klerk’s speech of 2 February 1990, which announced a fundamental
change in policy, was made less than two months after the fall of the Berlin Wall in
November 1989, the event that symbolised the end of the Cold War and the start of a
new world order.

In 1989, President F.W de Klerk unbanned the ANC the SACP and PAC. He states that the
collapse of the Soviet Union was decisive in persuading him to take this step:

"The collapse of the Soviet Union helped to remove our long-standing concern regarding the
influence of the South African Communist Party within the ANC Alliance. By 1990 classic
socialism had been thoroughly discredited throughout the world and was no longer a serious
option, even for revolutionary parties like the ANC.

At about the same time, the ANC was reaching a similar conclusion that it could not achieve a
revolutionary victory within the foreseeable future. The State of Emergency, declared by the
South African Government in 1986, and the collapse of the Soviet Union - which had
traditionally been one the ANC's main allies and suppliers - led the organisation to adopt a more
realistic view of the balance of forces. It concluded that its interests could be best secured by
accepting negotiations rather than by committing itself to a long and ruinous civil war."-

[Available at: <[Link]>. Accessed 22 June 2021]

 P a g e | 18

Collapse of USSR affected SA in 3 ways:

• Attitude of Western governments towards SA

• Attitude of NP towards the ANC

• Attitude of ANC towards negotiating with NP

These all helped bring about the collapse of Apartheid

Attitude of Western governments during the Cold War

• Didn’t want USSR to control mineral resources and Cape sea route

• Alarmed when communist governments came to power in Angola and Mozambique

• Accepted NP’s anti-communist propaganda

• SA was convenient as pro-Western and anti-Soviet ally

• Reagan and Thatcher resisted calls for economic sanctions in 1980s because:
o SA was strongly anti-communist
o US and Britain had substantial investments in SA

• Policies began to change in mid 80s

o Growing pressure from anti-apartheid movements (news showed violence to
world)
o SA no longer significant in Cold War politics
• 1986: Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act passed in US congress
o Banned new investments in SA
o Closed landing rights to SAA
• Western governments applied pressure on SA
o NP could no longer rely on Western backing
o One of the reasons for NP’s change of policy in 1989/1990

Attitude of NP towards the ANC

• NP was anti-communist since 1948
• SACP banned 10 years before the ANC
• NP believed ANC, especially MK, was under control of SACP
o Some SACP leaders were leaders in MK (Chris Hani; Joe Slovo)
 P a g e | 19

o Believed that SACP planned to overthrow them and establish communist

government

• Once USSR had collapsed NP no longer saw communism as such a threat

o Prepared to negotiate with the ANC

Attitude of ANC towards negotiating with NP

ANC was also affected by the collapse of the USSR
• After 1960, ANC forced to go into exile

• ANC received substantial support from USSR

o Money, military training, weapons and education

• But in late 80s, Gorbachev favoured a peaceful settlement in SA

o Encouraged ANC to negotiate with NP
o Had meetings and told them they couldn’t keep relying on the USSR

• 1988: International agreement over Namibia

o SA and Cuba agreed to withdraw from Namibia and Angola
o ANC had to give up MK camps in Angola, lost ability to train troops in Angola

Effects of collapse of communism post-1994

• Many ANC followers expected socialist economic policies after 1994
o Example: Nationalisation of mines
• ANC influenced by poor performance of communist economies and its collapse
• ANC chose free market capitalist policies after 1994
• This led to tensions within the Tripartite Alliance
o COSATU and SACP felt the ANC had betrayed them