The USSR in Third World Conflicts
Soviet Arms and Diplomacy in Local Wars 1945–1980

Bruce D. Porter (Author)

9780521310642, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 25 July 1986

260 pages, 15 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.355 kg

'Bruce Porter's book is a superb account and analysis of how the Soviet Union has escalated its military involvement in Third World conflicts and is indispensable reading for anyone concerned with the Soviet role in world affairs.' Samuel P. Huntington, Harvard University

This is a thorough and sophisticated study of one of the most critical current issues in world politics. Bruce Porter examines Soviet policy and behaviour in Third World conflicts in the postwar period, focusing particularly on five examples: the Yemeni civil war, the Nigerian civil war, the Yom Kippur war, the Angolan civil war, and the Ogaden war. Aiming to illuminate various complex tactical and operational aspects of the USSR's policy in local conflicts, the author draws on a wide and eclectic range of sources. He pays close attention to the Soviet role as arms supplier and diplomatic actor in relation to both US policy and the dynamics of the local conflict, and he concludes with a careful consideration of the effectiveness of Soviet policy and of the implications for the United States.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. The USSR in local conflicts: a historical overview
3. Soviet power projection: advances in postwar military capabilities
4. The case studies: a framework for analysis
5. The Yemeni civil war
6. The Nigerian civil war
7. The Yom Kippur war
8. The Angolan civil war
9. The Ogaden war
10. Conclusions
Index.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]