Watershed: Angola and Mozambique: a Photo-History: the Portuguese Collapse in Africa, 1974-1975

In 1974, a coup d'état in Portugal overthrew its dictatorship, leading to the collapse of Portuguese defense against guerrilla movements in their colonies. Angola and Mozambique fell into bloody anarchy, Rhodesia became vulnerable to attack, and southern Africa became a Cold War hot zone. This marked the beginning of the end for white rule in southern Africa, which took five years in Rhodesia, fifteen in Namibia, and South Africa. Photographers of the Argus Africa news service captured the transition of the Portuguese colonies to self-rule in extraordinary detail.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 144 pages
\n Publication date: 30 November 2021
\n Publisher: 30 Degrees South Publishers
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The momentum of African independence, which had begun in Ghana in 1956, came to a screeching halt in southern Africa during the first quarter of 1974. This progress had encountered an insurmountable obstacle: the white and colonial rule of the Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique, the UDI regime in Rhodesia, South African dominance in South West Africa (Namibia), and the oppressive apartheid government in South Africa itself. However, on April 25, 1974, a seismic event occurred that shattered the impenetrable wall of dominance. A coup d'état led to the overthrow of Portugal's dictatorship, resulting in a collapse in Portuguese defense against the guerrilla movements in their colonies. In the following nineteen months, Angola and Mozambique descended into a bloody anarchy, giving rise to fragile new regimes that were struggling to survive their own civil wars. Rhodesia, suddenly exposed, became a prime target for attack through Mozambique and South West Africa, facilitated by the collapse of Portuguese control. Abruptly, southern Africa transformed into a hotbed of Cold War tensions, with South African and Cuban forces engaging in conflict. Yet, the future held a glimmer of hope: this marked the beginning of the end for white rule, a process that would unfold over the next five years in Rhodesia, fifteen years in Namibia, and eventually, South Africa. The catalyst for this transformative shift was the transition of Portuguese colonies to self-rule, which was meticulously documented by photographers of the Argus Africa news service, a small, highly professional South African agency. The images captured in this collection, compiled by the agency's then editor, Wilf Nussey, along with the accompanying text, provide a vivid account of this pivotal moment in history.

\n Weight: 648g\n
Dimension: 220 x 300 x 17 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781920143985\n \n