{"title":"Leopold Scholtz","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-battle-of-cuito-cuanavale-book-leopold-scholz-9781913336073","title":"The The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale","description":"In the broad history of the Cold War, the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was the climax of a far-off, but nonetheless important African war. It was waged between the apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) and the armed forces of the communist MPLA government in Angola and the People's Republic of Cuba. Led by Soviet generals, the MPLA embarked on a grand offensive in order to knock out the pro-Western rebel movement UNITA in southeastern Angola. As UNITA's survival was crucial to South Africa's military strategy in fighting its own counter-insurgency war against the South West African rebel movement SWAPO, the SADF stepped in with a single mechanised brigade and broke the back of the overwhelming MPLA offensive. The MPLA forces were subsequently driven back over a hundred kilometres, before the SADF advance was finally stopped just short of the town of Cuito Cuanavale. Since then, a hot war of words have been waged about who actually won. In this book, a South African military historian and retired journalist examines the campaign, the adversaries, and their achievements on the basis of his research in SADF archives. His scrupulous attempt at objectivity results in interesting conclusions. While the MPLA lost hands down, he posits a draw between the Cubans and the SADF. Although having been a South African reservist officer himself, he has critical words for the SADF leadership. Many misunderstandings, some of which were purposefully created by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, are put to rest. While not sharing Castro's political beliefs, he acknowledges Castro's military acumen and political savvy in extricating his country from an unwinnable war while smelling of roses. The analysis contains many lessons about mechanised warfare in the African context from which both laymen and military professionals alike may learn.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49577332998417,"sku":"GOR011801165","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1913336077.jpg?v=1751632683"},{"product_id":"the-south-african-defence-forces-in-the-border-war-1966-1989-book-leopold-scholtz-9781909982765","title":"The The South African Defence Forces in the Border War 1966-1989","description":"The SADF in the Border War 1966-1989 offers the first comprehensive analysis of the South African Defense Force's role in the Border War in Namibia and Angola since the end of this conflict in 1989. It investigates the causes of the Border War and follows its progress and escalation in the 1980s. It also considers the broader international context against which this conflict took place. The author brings vital new information to light gained from documents which have since been declassified. This includes documents from the State Security Council, the department of foreign affairs, the SADF itself, as well as from the Cuban and Soviet governments. It sheds light on the objectives of the National Party government in both Angola and the former Southwest Africa, the SADF's strategy in the war and its cross-border operations in Angola. To sketch as complete a picture as possible of individual operations, the author not only interviewed several high ranking SADF officers, but also included information from the Cuban archives and testimonies of Cuban and Russian officers. All the major operations and battles are discussed, including Savannah, Reindeer, Sceptic, Protea and Moduler, as well as the battles of Cassinga and Cuito Cuanavale. Where a battle had no clear winner, the author asks what the aim was of each of the parties involved and whether they succeeded in achieving that goal. In this way, he offers fresh perspectives on long-running and often controversial debates, for instance on who won the battle of Cuito Cuanavale. In the last chapter, the author looks at the objectives of all the parties involved in the war and whether they achieved them. In the process he tries to answer the all-important question: Who won the Border War?","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49736145142033,"sku":"NGR9781909982765","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51402667032849,"sku":"GOR013325789","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1909982768.jpg?v=1751630850"},{"product_id":"ratels-on-the-lomba-book-leopold-scholtz-9781911512875","title":"Ratels on the Lomba","description":"Charlie Squadron - the iron fist of the South African Defense Force's 61 Mechanised Battalion Group - led the way on 3 October 1987 during the climactic battle on the Lomba River in Southern Angola. Not only were they up against a vastly superior force in terms of numbers and weaponry, but they also had to deal with a terrain so dense that both their movement and sight were severely impaired. Despite this, the squadron nearly wiped out the Angolan forces' 47 Brigade. In Ratels on the Lomba, the reader is taken to the heart of the action in a dramatic recreation based on interviews, diary entries and Facebook contributions by members of Charlie Squadron. It is an intensely human story of how individuals react in the face of death.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49740662407441,"sku":"NGR9781911512875","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1911512870.jpg?v=1751632673"},{"product_id":"sadf-and-cuito-cuanavale-book-leopold-scholtz-9781928248033","title":"The SADF and Cuito Cuanavale","description":"A shooting war is often followed by a second war. This war is not fought with bullets or artillery shells, not with tanks or bombers, but rather with words. The war is, in effect, fought again on paper. In 1987\/88 the dusty southern Angolan town of Cuito Cuanavale became the scene of the final battles of the Border War. Today it is the focal point of the public debate over the question who actually won the war. The alliance of the Angolan MPLA government, Cuba and the Namibian freedom movement SWAPO claim that the South African Defence Force (SADF) wanted to use Cuito Cuanavale as a springboard for an advance on Luanda, but that they eventually forced the SADF to withdraw from Angola. This in turn helped to bring an end to apartheid, they contend. The leadership of the SADF, however, state that taking Cuito Cuanavale was never a serious objective and that they had no plans to overthrown the Angolan government. In recent years a mass of original SADF documents have been declassified. Leopold Scholtz interrogated these documents to establish what the true objectives of the SADF were in these final, crucial battles of the Border War. He also examines certain battles in the campaign and analyse why one side or the other won or lost. This incisive analysis is testament to what happens when war, politics and propaganda intertwine.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51056776347921,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51056779133201,"sku":"NIN9781928248033","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52535088513297,"sku":"NLS9781928248033","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1928248039.jpg?v=1750726657"},{"product_id":"terreur-en-bevryding-book-leopold-scholtz-9781776191673","title":"Terreur en Bevryding","description":"Wie vandag se ANC, sy beleid en regeerstyl wil verstaan, moet feitlik ’n eeu terug begin delf. ’n Deel van die antwoord lê in sy verhouding met die Suid-Afrikaanse Kommunistiese Party (SAKP) en die invloed van die kommunisme, asook die ANC\/SAKP se optrede in ballingskap, skryf die politieke kommentator en historikus Leopold Scholtz.    In Terreur en bevryding toon hy aan hoe die SAKP reeds in 1928 opdrag van die Kremlin ontvang het om die ANC te infiltreer. Die doel was om mettertyd die partyleiding oor te neem as deel van ’n beoogde revolusie in twee fases: ’n nasionaal demokratiese revolusie – ’n konsep wat steeds deel is van ANC-beleid – gevolg deur ’n Marxisties-Leninistiese “diktatuur van die proletariaat”.    Volgens Scholtz sou dit ’n immorele stelsel met beperkte vryheid meebring. Dit was ook die SAKP wat die dryfveer agter die gewapende stryd was. Scholtz plaas die kollig op die dodelike kombinasie van erge interne intoleransie en onbekwaamheid binne die ANC\/SAKP in ballingskap, die korrupsie deur ’n deel van die leierskorps en die ernstige menseregtevergrype in die ANC se buitelandse kampe. Hy voer aan dat dit wat tans in Suid-Afrika op al drie regeringsvlakke gebeur ’n voortsetting is van ’n kultuur wat al tydens die alliansie se jare in ballingskap gevestig is.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51271898956049,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51271900692753,"sku":"NIN9781776191673","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52422650036497,"sku":"NLS9781776191673","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1776191676.jpg?v=1751090257"},{"product_id":"saw-en-cuito-cuanavale-book-leopold-scholtz-9781928248057","title":"Die Saw en Cuito Cuanavale","description":"“Dit gebeur dikwels dat ’n skietoorlog deur ’n tweede oorlog gevolg word. Dié oorlog word nie met ammunisie of kartetse gevoer of met tenks en bomwerpers nie, maar met woorde. Die oorlog word as ’t ware op papier oorgeveg.” In 1987\/’88 het die stowwerige klein Angolese dorpie Cuito Cuanavale die toneel van die laaste gevegte van die Grensoorlog geword.    Vandag is dit die fokuspunt van ’n openbare debat oor wie dan eintlik die Grensoorlog gewen het. Die alliansie van die Angolese MPLA-regering, Kuba en die Namibiese bevrydingsbeweging Swapo voer aan dat die Suid- Afrikaanse Weermag (SAW) Cuito Cuanavale as afspringplek wou gebruik om die hoofstad Luanda in te neem, maar dat hulle die SAW gedwing het om uit Angola te onttrek.    Dit het uiteindelik gehelp om ’n einde aan apartheid te bring, beweer hulle. Die SAW-leierskap handhaaf egter dat Cuito Cuanavale nooit vir hulle ’n ernstige doelwit was nie en dat hulle geen planne gehad het om die Angolese regering omver te werp nie. Tientalle SAW-dokumente oor hierdie tydperk is onlangs gedeklassifiseer.    Leopold Scholtz het dit bestudeer om vas te stel wat die ware doelwitte van die SAW in hierdie finale, beslissende gevegte van die Grensoorlog was. Hy bespreek ook sleutelgevegte en ondersoek waarom een kant of die ander gewen of verloor het. Die boek getuig van wat gebeur wanneer oorlog, politiek en propaganda met mekaar vervleg raak.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52534930178321,"sku":"NLS9781928248057","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53555928891665,"sku":"NIN9781928248057","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781928248057.jpg?v=1760669852"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-leopold-scholtz.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}