COLD WAR POLITICS

The study examined the impact of Cold War politics on the struggle against apartheid in South Africa between 1945 and 1991. It explores how the ideological rivalry between the capitalist West and the communist East shaped international responses to apartheid and influenced both support for and opposition to the apartheid regime. The research highlights that Cold War dynamics significantly affected diplomatic relations, economic sanctions, and liberation movements, particularly as global superpowers strategically aligned with or against the apartheid government based on geopolitical interests rather than human rights considerations. It also shows how liberation movements such as the African National Congress (ANC) received varying levels of external support, especially from Eastern Bloc countries, which strengthened their capacity for resistance. However, Western powers’ anti-communist priorities often delayed stronger action against apartheid, thereby prolonging the system’s existence. The study concludes that Cold War politics both complicated and shaped the international struggle against apartheid, influencing the pace and nature of its eventual collapse in 1991, and recommends a more balanced historical understanding that considers global power politics in assessing anti-apartheid efforts.