Angola's independence day brought a civil war that lasted 27 years

historyWikipedia1975 · Luanda, Angola

Angola's independence day brought a civil war that lasted 27 years

the gist

On 10 November 1975 the MPLA, a communist-leaning movement, decisively defeated the rival FNLA at the Battle of Quifangondo near Luanda, a day before Portugal handed over power and withdrew its colonial and military personnel from the city. Angola became independent on 11 November 1975, and the three movements that had fought Portugal turned on each other. The MPLA, helped by Cuban soldiers and Soviet support, held the capital, while UNITA and the FNLA were backed from outside. The civil war that followed lasted, with pauses, until 2002.

so what

Angola became one of the Cold War's major proxy conflicts, with Cuban, Soviet, American and South African involvement, and it left a legacy of millions displaced and landmines.

the bigger pattern

Many colonies became independent only to face civil wars between their liberation movements, with outside powers choosing sides, as in the Congo in 1960. Angola's war became one of the longest of the Cold War era.

fun fact

Cuba sent tens of thousands of troops to Angola in the following years.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Alfonso Naranjo Rosabal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗