A historical perspective on South African military chaplaincy and Cold War ideologies during the Border War 1966-1989
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Date
2013
Authors
Bredenkamp, Izette
Wessels, Andre
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Humanities, University of Free State
Abstract
For most of the latter half of the twentieth century, Cold War ideologies dominated foreign relations
and domestic state policies and, as such, it also touched the lives of ordinary men and women.
Decolonisation and the Soviet offensive of anti-imperialism brought Asia and Africa into the realm of
Cold War politics. The Border War (also known as the Namibian War of Independence or the Bush War,
1966-1989) in Southern Africa gave evidence of Soviet anti-imperialist propaganda. It was counteracted
by justifications of western containment policies. In the South African context it elicited strong
sociopolitical sentiments. With regard to the Border War it included accusations that military chaplains
supported the state policy of apartheid and a call was put forth to demilitarise chaplaincy within the
South African Defence Force (SADF). Ethical issues based on ideology are always multidimensional
and open to different interpretations. This article gives an historical perspective on the timeframe and
on the complexities of perspectives from the viewpoint of military chaplains.
Description
Keywords
Cold War, South African Chaplain Service (SACHS), Border War (Namibian War of Independence, Bush War), Communism, Ideology
Citation
Bredenkamp, I., & Wessels, A. (2013). A historical perspective on South African military chaplaincy and Cold War ideologies during the Border War, 1966-1989. Journal for Contemporary History, 38(2), 46-69.