Guerilla struggle in Africa : a two-case study in Mozambique and Rhodesia

Abstract

<p>It is the intention of this study to explore the hypothesis that a revolutionary peasant consciousness forms a quintessential ingredient in the complex of forces that culminate in a successful guerilla struggle. Beyond this, it will be demonstrated that the success of the struggle in Mozambique is a product of a development of an ideological clarity during the course of a struggle where the ruling class was in decay and thus lacked the indigenous capacity to forge a sustained, cohesive defense against the revolutionary movement. In Rhodesia on the oher hand, while many of the objective conditions have contributed to the development of guerilla struggle, as in Mozambique, nevertheless the presence of a well-entrenched, indigenous, while bourgeoisie with sole domination of state power has been a great barrier to the protracted struggle. Consequently, the greater difficulties inherent in this have minimized guerilla gains. This has resulted in sectarianism and a diminution of peasant consciousness with an overall deleterious impact on the Zimbabwe struggle as a whole.</p>