The research and publication of Evolutions & Revolutions: A Contemporary History of Militaries in Southern Africa, facilitated by the Defence Sector Programme (DSP) of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), is a result of the kind co-operation of individuals and institutions who subscribe to the noble concept of empirically documenting the response to security threats by 13 newly independent countries in the post-colonial era. This group of countries, constituting Southern Africa, has emerged from one of the most conflict-ridden experiences on the African continent, spanning the period from the 1960s to the 1990s. The response of each country once it attained political independence has been the unknown piece on the mosaic, whose significance can only be fully appreciated when placed side-by-side with similar events in neighbouring states. The different contributions by African practitioners experienced in the military profession are important for posterity, as is their contribution to providing clarity on a hitherto unexplored dimension of nation building.

 

Edited by: Martin Rupiya

 

This book was made possible through the funding provided by the Government of the United Kingdom, Department for International Development