Decolonization of East African countries: a Soviet View (based on the materials of the newspaper Pravda)

Abstract

The process of decolonization of Africa in the USSR was strongly welcomed by the masses. The latter was largely promoted by the newspaper Pravda, the most popular newspaper of the USSR times. The article analyzes the information that the newspaper gave in the early 1960’s about the decolonization of the East African countries - Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The Soviet reader was informed about these countries in a very general way, as well as about their leaders of decolonization in them and the declaration of independence. The problems faced by the young states - economic, political, ethnic, social - were also shown, and they were explained as the heavy heritage of colonialism. The establishment of diplomatic relations of the USSR with new states and the desire for mutual friendship was emphasized almost immediately in all cases. The progressive nature of the transformations carried out by the Governments of these states and, if possible, their socialist nature were also emphasized.