Retrospective on the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale

There's a great article about the Battle or Cuito Cuanavale in Africa back in the '80s.
It's also a very hard one to characterize.

Do you thank the SADF for turning back the tide of communism in southern Africa? Or do you see it as another example of an oppressive apartheid regime suppressing a black liberation movement?

Is it a victory for a Western-style maneuver-oriented military against a largely communist conscription force with Russian-based doctrine? Or does it show the differences between a force that perceives itself to be fighting for the defense of 'their' homeland/continent against an invading force of outsiders/interlopers?

If you're interested in purely in the military aspects of the wider campaign, there's a nifty little issue from S&T a few years back that covers the battles in Angola in '88-'89 as well as Budapest in '56. They both build off of the old ModQuad mechanics from SPI, and I would recommend the Angola game as a great bit of afternoon fun that might not perfectly model the campaign (it lacks quite a bit of political depth) but succeeds as fun game about a campaign few others have explored.


By: Brant