- Eastern Revolt
The Eastern Revolt (Portuguese: Revolta do Leste; RDL) is an
Angola n nationalist organization that fought in the war for independence fromPortugal under the leadership ofDaniel Chipenda . [http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-627.html Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola-Workers' Party] Country-data] The RDL drew its support from theOvimbundu ethnic group.Westad, Odd Arne. "The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times", 2005. Page 217.]In May 1966 Chipenda, then a member of the
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola , established the Eastern Front, significantly expanding the MPLA's reach in Angola. When the EF collapsed, Chipenda and Neto each blamed the other's factions. In 1972 theSoviet Union allied with Chipenda's faction, giving him aid. The Eastern Revolt also received aid from the governments ofZambia andSouth Africa .Stewart Lloyd-Jones and António Costa Pinto. "The Last Empire: Thirty Years of Portuguese Decolonisation", 2003. Pages 27-29.] Chipenda left the MPLA in 1973, founding the Eastern Revolt with 1,500 former MPLA followers.George, Edward. "The Cuban Intervention In Angola, 1965-1991: from Che Guevara to Cuito Cuanavale", 2005. Page 46.] He opposed the MPLA'smestizo -leadership and was wary of the Soviet Union, despite its support.In 1973 the Soviet Union invited Neto to
Moscow and told him Chipenda planned to assassinate him. Although Chipenda joined theFNLA in September 1974Bennett, Andrew. "Condemned to Repetition?: The Rise, Fall, and Reprise of Soviet-Russian Military Interventionism", 1999. Page 152.] the Eastern Revolt's existence continued and RDL forces fought against the MPLA in February 1975.References
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