Lecture - March 11/13th, 2019
Regime Change
, Successful Regime Change: South Africa
- Highlighting the actors/institutions that can cause a regime change to fail
- Similar to the case of Chile in that the decline/end of the Cold War was a key factor that
brought to a close many conflicts and drew down support for authoritarian regimes on the
part of the global superpowers
- Superpowers had previously supported clients in the developing world in the
context of their global chess game
- Chile and likewise South Africa had received support from the U.S. but this
support was being withdrawn
Successful Negotiated Transition: South Africa
- 1990: Mandela and others released from prison
- Apartheid (racially discriminatory laws) is abolished
- South african government were forced to do this primarily as a result of
decreasing international support
- African National Congress (ANC) negotiates with South African government
Mandela released from prison, 2/1990
Factors that Brought Down Apartheid:
- Mass protest (union strikes, demonstrations)
- Grassroots civil society organizations; i.e student unions, workers unions
organizing against the regime with little international connections.
- Brought great pressure upon the regime.
- Armed struggle
- African National Congress had its own arms wing
- The instances of armed attacks in SA grew substantially in the late 1980’s.
- International pressure
- Apartheid became increasingly notorious internationally.
- A lot of mobilization against apartheid occurred.
Mandela and De Klerk
- When looking at regime change, it is important to consider the importance of leadership.
1994 Free and Fair Elections
- Election was free and fair by all accounts
- Mandela became president
- Retained moral authority once he became president.
- Did not run for a second term to make room for the growth of South African
political culture
Regime Change
, Successful Regime Change: South Africa
- Highlighting the actors/institutions that can cause a regime change to fail
- Similar to the case of Chile in that the decline/end of the Cold War was a key factor that
brought to a close many conflicts and drew down support for authoritarian regimes on the
part of the global superpowers
- Superpowers had previously supported clients in the developing world in the
context of their global chess game
- Chile and likewise South Africa had received support from the U.S. but this
support was being withdrawn
Successful Negotiated Transition: South Africa
- 1990: Mandela and others released from prison
- Apartheid (racially discriminatory laws) is abolished
- South african government were forced to do this primarily as a result of
decreasing international support
- African National Congress (ANC) negotiates with South African government
Mandela released from prison, 2/1990
Factors that Brought Down Apartheid:
- Mass protest (union strikes, demonstrations)
- Grassroots civil society organizations; i.e student unions, workers unions
organizing against the regime with little international connections.
- Brought great pressure upon the regime.
- Armed struggle
- African National Congress had its own arms wing
- The instances of armed attacks in SA grew substantially in the late 1980’s.
- International pressure
- Apartheid became increasingly notorious internationally.
- A lot of mobilization against apartheid occurred.
Mandela and De Klerk
- When looking at regime change, it is important to consider the importance of leadership.
1994 Free and Fair Elections
- Election was free and fair by all accounts
- Mandela became president
- Retained moral authority once he became president.
- Did not run for a second term to make room for the growth of South African
political culture
