The Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar: Product of the Cold War?

By: Godfrey Mwakikagile

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar which led to the establishment of Tanzania as a united republic was consummated at the height of the Cold War.

After the Zanzibar revolution in January 1964, there were fears in the West that Zanzibar would become "another Cuba." And Western powers were determined to prevent that from happening. They felt that the revolution was communist-inspired and feared that if the leaders of Zanzibar consolidated their position, they would pose a threat to Western interests in the region because of their friendly ties to the Communist bloc.

Americans and other Westerners also feared that if a communist regime stayed in power, it would pose an even bigger threat to Western geopolitical interests on the continent because the island nation would serve as a springboard or launching pad for communist penetration of Africa.

It was during this period of bitter rivalry between the United States and the Communist bloc that the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was formed.

Was the United States - and Britain - behind the merger to contain Zanzibar and prevent it from becoming "another Cuba"? Was the union formed by the leaders of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, especially Julius Nyerere, on their own initiative in pursuit of African unity? Or did the interests of Western powers coincide with those of Nyerere and other leaders in Tanganyika and Zanzibar, creating favourable conditions for formation and consummation of the union, thus satisfying all the parties involved?

Would the union have been formed had the Zanzibar revolution not taken place? Or would the two countries have united, anyway, even if no radical changes had occurred in the island nation as Nyerere and others contended?

Those are some of the issues addressed in this book by Godfrey Mwakikagile which also raises new questions about the union, the only one ever formed on the continent between independent states.