With Angolans fighting for independence from Portugal on the west coast of Southern Africa it wasn't long before the Mozambican's wanted the same thing on the east coast.
As we will see Southern Africa became an increasingly troubled sub continent in the 60's and it seemed much of the world was meddling.
The Mozambican War of Independence war started on September 25, 1964.
The formation of the Mozambican guerrilla organisation FRELIMO and the support of the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Tanzania, Zambia, Egypt, Algeria and Gaddafi regime in Libya through arms and advisers, led to the outbreak of violence that was to last over a decade.
Guerrilla attacks in northern Mozambique began from bases in Tanzania. the monsoon season was a favored season in which to conduct attacks since it was harder to track insurgents by air during heavy rain and moment of ground troops was hampered by muddy conditions.
Within a couple of months the newly Independent nation of Malawi was also utilized as a launchpad or retreat after attacking the Portuguese.
By Cliftonian , CC0, Link
As conflict headed further south it is not surprising that the White minority government of Rhodesia and South Africa formed the secret pact with Portugal and assisted it in its counter independence initiatives in both Angola and Mozambique.
It was also becoming more and more common in the region that the hostilities involved cross border operations.
On June 10, 1970, a major counter-offensive was launched by the Portuguese army. The Gordian Knot Operation (Portuguese: Operação Nó Górdio) targeted permanent insurgent camps and the infiltration routes across the Tanzanian border in the north of Mozambique over a period of seven months. The operation involved some 35,000 Portuguese troops, particularly elite units like paratroopers, commandos, marines and naval fusiliers.
The Portuguese had excellent coordination between light bombers, helicopters and reinforced ground patrols. They utilised American tactics of quick airborne (helibourne) assaults supported by heavy aerial bombardments of FRELIMO camps by the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa or FAP) to surround and eliminate the guerrillas.
As frustrations began to set in, the guerrillas began resorting to mining civilian towns and roads and the Portuguese forces resorted to reprisal attacks on villages.
Reports of massacres reached Portugal and led to the wars abroad becoming more and more unpopular. Eventually it was said of the war:
"In Mozambique we say there are three wars: the war against FRELIMO, the war between the army and the secret police, and the war between the army and the secret police, and the central government."
Dissatisfaction with the wars abroad would lead to increasing dissatisfaction with the government in Portugal and would eventually lead to the Carnation Revolution and an end to both the Angolan and Mozambican War of Independence.
The peace would not last long though, within 2 years Rhodesia and South Africa would begin meddling directly in Mozambican affairs.
Without Portugal these white minority governments were becoming increasingly surrounded and isolated.
By Cliftonian, CC0, Link
Quoted parts from relevant Wikipedia pages
Other posts in this series
The piece of the cold war nobody told you about - Africa's forgotten war
The air battles
The SA Fighter Aircraft
The SA Bomber Aircraft
The conflicts deep roots and start
Regional Tensions
Africa's forgotten cold war - Angolan War of Independence.
Hey @gavvet I am from Portugal. And Regularly Follow Your POSTS. Coz, You update really interesting and Useful Information. Thanks !
Great
So much interesting information about our continent's history that I have been so far unaware of! Thank u you for your in-depth blog posts on the history of our beautiful continent <3
I grew up during a war in the country that I was born in and I read your posts and sometimes too many things are too vivid for me. That is the only reason I do not "Like" posts about war, but in solidarity with your efforts to talk about the past without a political agenda I have given an upvote here and commented for the first and maybe the last time.
I like your work here, keep it up and do not let anyone discourage you.
The truth shall set us free.
We had war too...
Fantastic post! Our part of the world has more history than most people realise...
We were isolated in a cocoon...
Awesome post, as a portuguese i love to read about this, the sad part about the independece on Angola and Mozambique was that soon after both countries went into civil wars, in Mozambique it had alot to do with racial problems i belive.
Also, the portuguese war in Guiné-Bissau was much harder and bloodier than Mozanbique and Angola, it seems strange because Guiné is much smaller, but PAIGC (guerrilla movement of Guiné-Bissau) was very strong and had massive support from Soviet Union and Cuba, including anti-air Stella systems!
@gavvet, there is a myth story about the Cubans in Guiné-Bissau and other African contries, were Che Guevara himself was present in the fights, you should do a post on that ;)
Peace, Carlos
I don't know much about Guiné-Bissau...
Perhaps you should do it then post the link here
For nearly three decades, Mozambique has experienced two particularly deadly conflicts, not only having a strong impact on its inhabitants, but also on southern Africa and beyond. Cold War. Before discussing the civil war that lasted until 1992, we must go back to the independence struggle, a colonial conflict that lasted from 1964 to 1975.
following you
Very interesting topic mate... I have family that lives in Portugal.
@gavvet
You bring back memories of my visits to Mozambique 🇲🇿
Though no one will discuss freely the war and guerilla history, we can still feel the undercurrents of various factions in the corridors of power there. I had tried to read up on the history and was aware of the Gordian knot operation but did not know details. It was difficult to piece together the history and I found that for an outsider like me, correlating that history with current politics was not an easy job.
Your article, however does an excellent job to summarise.
Thanks for sharing. Upvoted
I have put up couple of funny wildlife blogs ( my funny bone seems to be acting up 😀😀). I request you to take a look if you have time. Your comments would be very welcome. Thanks.
All the wars in africa is because the Diamand, and i see that no one in africa have made anything because so many coming from everywhere in the world they xchange Diamand with guns and they make the wars @gavvet
This comment has received a 0.15 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @hamzaoui.
good
Poor Africa! They've had a brutal time of things. I understand Mozambique has joined the Commonwealth and is trying to forge links with other Commonwealth countries in Africa to get itself out of poverty.
nice news!
War of Independence is right of the people who are living life like slaves.
I was part of a colony that wanted independence too...
Africa is surrounded with more history
I love reading african history and love to talk about their culture @gavvet
Nonetheless, Mozambique succeeded in achieving independence on June 25, 1975, after a civil resistance movement known as the Carnation Revolution backed by portions of the military in Portugal. Wow, thank you @gavvet for this historical information about the africa, this is new knowledge for me :)
Amazing seeing people revolting and pushing away the Portuguese.
The majority will always prosper against the minority.
Congratulations! Very interesting information about the continent's history
Thanks for your great blog posts about history :)
Lots of Africa countries have a great history especially about colonialism.I was so moved when i watched this movie titled "Root".In that movie i saw how blacks suffered in the colonial era.Thank God i wasn't born then.
As a historian it is a pleasure for me to know more facts on the world history, especially those events that had happened too far away from my fatherland :)
Upvoted and thank you for the good post!
This is so sad. War is such a evil thing
Congratulations @gavvet!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:
A very detailed read , thanks for sharing
Great post
thank you
such a beautiful part of the world - i wish them peace and prosperity -- my friend is from Zaire.
Thanks, a part of our history that was not always discussed. We all need to know where we have come from, to know where we going. Ill deeds of the past and confusion in the present of our youth still reveals that history is not being shared in a manner that feeds one with knowledge, thanks @gavvet you filled in some gaps!
Gavvet, I'm going around thanking people for up-voting this past year. thanks for your support. Actually it may have been about a full year ago, cause i remember you've been here a while.
Really good information about africa, i didn't know all a read here
The media decided we don't need to know. Shocking that this still goes on so sad , thanks mike
nice post ,,, you have good blog , Good luck. Comrade
It's ver informative and new for me. But i have a question about that. When this fight begin and when they won the battle. Thanks dor sharing with newbies like me. 👍
I wonder, will they ever stop on the Earth of war?
I doubt it, it will require the Prince of Peace to come again before it ever stops
May independence always be maintained with peace. Peace is beautiful.
There should be more coverage
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This war is defenitatly forgotten. I know in all my schooling this was something that I never learned about. It is unfortunate how many of these types wars end up involving civilians intentionally.
This is a WOW post . Very informative thanks @gavvet
You always make a post about the war, I think you are a master of war master @gavvet my advice do not forget to research also about the war of rebellion aceh merdeka against Indonesian government, hopefully someday I see the story in your post,because it is a long war too.
I actually didn't know about this war! Interesting post @gavvet. Thanks for putting in the effort :) I also just posted my last post! Awesomeness
Hope all this war will end soon.
It's always like that when civilians suffer, stupid wars.
Good thing to know that Portuguese were thrown back.
It's so true about:
Thanks for sharing.
Interesting post ,, hopefully can give birth to our sense of concern for Africa and Mozambique independence.
I interest topic...thank sharing your knowledge...wow i like it...
Great post very informative will be sure to stay tuned for more, forgotten pieces of history like this need to shared.
Very unfortunate, African countries from the old war civil war. This must be solved, because it is also the responsibility of all of us.
Awesome post, gave you a follow. Always great to learn more about the world's history. As they say, "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it."
War is an endless catastrophe ...
Nice post
thank you
thank you