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Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993)
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2019
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| _version_ | 1867613940371947520 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Gordon, Hugh William |
| author2 | Van der Waag, Ian Joseph |
| author_browse | Gordon, Hugh William Van der Waag, Ian Joseph |
| author_facet | Van der Waag, Ian Joseph Gordon, Hugh William |
| author_sort | Gordon, Hugh William |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2019. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/106960 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:07.837Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/106960 Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) Gordon, Hugh William Van der Waag, Ian Joseph Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Science. School for Security and Africa Studies: Military History. Angola -- History -- South African Invasion, 1975-1976 Angola -- History -- South African Incursions, 1978-1990 South Africa -- History, Military, 1961- South Africa. Army. Battalion, 32 Special forces (Military science) -- South Africa Soldiers -- South Africa South Africa. Union Defence Force Cold War Counterinsurgency UCTD Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2019. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African Defence Force (SADF) and South African Police were involved in a protracted armed conflict in southern Africa from 1966 – 1989. Various protagonists in the conflict received backing from Cold War superpowers. South Africa made use of several “irregular” units, usually comprising black soldiers under white leadership. A group of former Angolan soldiers, who had been abandoned by their Angolan leaders, became part of the South African forces during Operation Savannah in 1975 and 1976. These men eventually became part of the SADF, and were named 32 Battalion. They soon built a reputation as one of the SADF’s most successful combat units, and were consequently referred to by their opponents as Os Terriveis, The Terrible Ones. Unlike in traditional SADF units, the soldiers of 32 Battalion had no choice but to bring their families with them when they joined the army. Their dependents could not be left behind in Angola, against whom they were now, in part, fighting. The SADF, and the officers of 32 Battalion in particular, had to find ways in which to provide effective support to the soldiers as well as their families. All the former Angolans of 32 Battalion –both soldiers and civilians – depended on the SADF to provide accommodation,access to food, medical support, financial advice, and social structure. In 1989, 32 Battalion relocated to South Africa. They were, initially, deployed in South African townships as peacekeepers, but neither the National Party (NP) government, nor the incumbent African National Congress (ANC) were comfortable with one of the most successful SADF units on South African soil. To the apartheid-orientated NP, the soldiers of 32 Battalion were, quite simply, too black and to the ANC they were the epitome of blacks who had not supported the struggle and sided with the apartheid government. The result was that 32 Battalion was disbanded in 1993, with little thought about their future. Drawing on newly declassified documents from the South African Department of Defence Documentation Centre, this dissertation traces the history of 32 Battalion, starting with their emergence from the Cold War conflicts in southern Africa, through their deployment by the SADF, to their eventual relocation and disbanding in South Africa. Using a “bottom-up” perspective not commonly found in South African military historiography, the dissertation pays particular attention to the way in which 32 Battalion’s military existence interacted with the social dynamic within the unit. The presence of a civilian component throughout their history facilitates a close examination of the areas in which the SADF was, and was not, successful in providing for an irregular, but highly effective, unit. Amid a plethora of 32 Battalion histories and memoirs, this dissertation is the first to provide an archivally based, “bottom-up” history with a social focus. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag (SAW) en Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie (SAP) was van 1966 - 1989 in ‘n gewapende konflik in suider-Afrika betrokke. Verskeie rolspelers in die konflik het ondersteuning van Koue Oorlog supermagte ontvang. Suid-Afrika het gebruik gemaak van verskeie “buitengewone” eenhede, gewoonlik saamgestel uit swart soldate onder wit leierskap. A groep voormalige Angolese soldate, wie deur hulle Angolese leiers verwerp is, het deel geword van die Suid-Afrikaanse magte gedurende Operasie Savannah in 1975 en 1976. Hierdie soldate het, mettertyd, deel geword van die SAW en het bekend gestaan as 32 Bataljon. Hulle het spoedig aansien verdien as een van die SAW se mees suksesvolle eenhede en het, as gevolg daarvan, onder hulle teenstaanders bekend gestaan as Os Terriveis, Die Verskriklikes. Anders as in tradisionele SAW-eenhede, het die soldate van 32 Bataljon geen ander keuse gehad as om hulle families saam met hulle te bring toe hulle by die leër aangesluit het nie. Hulle kon nie hulle afhanklikes in Angola, teen wie hulle nou oorlog gevoer het, agterlaat nie. Die SAW en, in besonder, die offisiere van 32 Bataljon, moes maniere vind waarop hulle effektiewe ondersteuning aan soldate en hulle families kon bied. Al die voormalige Angolese van 32 Bataljon – beide soldate en burgerlikes – het op die SAW staat gemaak om aan hulle behuising, kos, mediese ondersteuning, finansiële advies en sosiale strukture te voorsien. In 1989 het 32 Bataljon na Suid-Afrika verhuis. Hulle is aanvanklik as vredesmagte in Suid-Afrikaanse informele nedersettings aangewend, maar nóg die Nasionale Party (NP), nóg die African National Congress (ANC), was gemaklik daarmee om een van die SAW se mees suksesvolle eenhede in Suid-Afrika te huisves nie. Vir die NP was die soldate van 32 Bataljon eenvoudig te swart en vir die ANC was hulle die verpersoonliking van daardie swartes wat nie die struggle gesteun het nie en die kant van die apartheid-regering gekies het. Die uiteinde was dat 32 Bataljon in 1993 ontbind is, sonder enige beplanning vir hulle toekoms. Deur gebruik te maak van nuut-gedeklassifiseerde dokumente van die Suid-Afrikaanse Departement van Verdediging Dokumentasie Sentrum verskaf hierdie proefskrif ‘n blik op die geskiedenis van 32 Bataljon: hoe hulle uit Koue Oorlog konflikte na die SAW gekom het, hulle aanwendig deur die SAW en hulle uiteindelike verhuising na, en ontbinding in, Suid-Afrika. Die gebruik van ‘n “van-onder-opwaarts” perspektief, ongewoon in Suid-Afrikaanse historiografie, stel die proefskrif in staat om in besonder aandag te gee aan die tussenspel tussen 32 Bataljon se militêre bestaan en die sosiale dinamiek binne die eenheid. Die teenwoordigheid in 32 Bataljon se geskiedenis van ‘n deurgaanse burgerlike komponent fasiliteer ‘n nabye ondersoek na die areas waarin die SAW geslaag het, en onsuksesvol was, in hulle ondersteuning van ‘n ongewone, maar besonder effektiewe, eenheid. Te midde van heelparty boeke en memoires oor 32 Bataljon is hierdie proefskrif die eerste wat gebruik maak van argivale bronne om ‘n “van-onder-opwaarts” tipe geskiedenis, met ‘n sosiale fokus, daar te stel. Doctoral 2019-11-27T09:55:54Z 2019-12-11T06:40:30Z 2023-01-04T03:00:11Z 2019-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106960 en Stellenbosch University xi, 265 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Angola -- History -- South African Invasion, 1975-1976 Angola -- History -- South African Incursions, 1978-1990 South Africa -- History, Military, 1961- South Africa. Army. Battalion, 32 Special forces (Military science) -- South Africa Soldiers -- South Africa South Africa. Union Defence Force Cold War Counterinsurgency UCTD Gordon, Hugh William Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) |
| title | Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) |
| title_full | Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) |
| title_fullStr | Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) |
| title_short | Forged in Battle? A socio-military history of South Africa’s 32 Battalion (1975 – 1993) |
| title_sort | forged in battle a socio military history of south africa s 32 battalion 1975 1993 |
| topic | Angola -- History -- South African Invasion, 1975-1976 Angola -- History -- South African Incursions, 1978-1990 South Africa -- History, Military, 1961- South Africa. Army. Battalion, 32 Special forces (Military science) -- South Africa Soldiers -- South Africa South Africa. Union Defence Force Cold War Counterinsurgency UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106960 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gordonhughwilliam forgedinbattleasociomilitaryhistoryofsouthafricas32battalion19751993 |