Portuguese Dragoons, 1966-1974

The Return to Horseback

John P. Cann

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English

Helion & Company
01 September 2019

African history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Military history: post WW2 conflicts; Land forces & warfare

Series: Africa@War

In 1966 Portugal needed a force that could combine mobility with the ability to engage insurgents; one solution was to create horse cavalry units.

Between 1961 and 1974 Portugal fought a war to retain its African colonies of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. Collectively known as the Campaigns for Africa, the origin of the conflict stems from the post-World War II atmosphere of nationalism and anti-colonial fervour. The Angolan insurgency began in 1961, followed by unrest in Guinea-Bissau in 1963 and Mozambique in 1964. Portugal's initial actions in Angola were based on foot-slogging by infantry, considered the best method of addressing an insurgency, not only to hunt the enemy but also to keep contact with the population. But in the vast areas of Angola the majority of which was unsuited to wheeled vehicles this tactical approach was too painful, and for Portugal the number of troops available was limited. The helicopter was a possible solution, but it was beyond Portugal's finance resources and it had a tendency to fly over those areas where it was vital to communicate with the population and secure its loyalty. When in 1966 the enemy guerrillas sought a new front in eastern Angola, Portugal needed a force that could combine mobility over rough terrain with the ability to engage insurgents, while maintaining strong links with the population. One of the adaptive solutions to this challenge was found in the past: create horse cavalry units in the form of dragoons that were equally trained for cavalry or infantry service, just as their historical predecessors fought. In this particular case, adaptive tactics involved adjusting existing military methods and means from the traditional and available inventory to craft a solution that would deny eastern Angola to insurgents and support the population there. This story is about imaginative thinking that, instead of a 'forced abandonment of the old', led to a 'resurrection of the old'.

AUTHOR: John P. Cann is an Adjunct Research Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analyses, a former Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Virginia, and the retired Professor of National Security Studies at Marine Corps University.

105 b/w ills/photos, 19 maps, 8 colour ills/photos

By: John P. Cann
Imprint: Helion & Company
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 297mm, Width: 210mm,
ISBN: 9781912866281
ISBN 10: 1912866285
Series: Africa@War
Pages: 68
Publication Date: 01 September 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

John P. Cann is an Adjunct Research Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analyses, a former Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Virginia, and the retired Professor of National Security Studies at Marine Corps University. He earned his doctorate in the Department of War Studies at King's College London in 1996 and subsequently published Counterinsurgency in Africa: The Portuguese Way of War, 1961-1974 and Brown Waters of Africa: Portuguese Riverine Warfare, 1961-1974. He is likewise the author of some thirty articles on conflict in Africa. He is a retired naval captain and flight officer specializing in open-ocean-reconnaissance aviation with a variety of aviation assignments, including command. He also served on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of Defense and was awarded the Portuguese Medal of Dom Afonso Henriques and the Portuguese Navy Cross Medal. He is an Associate Member of the Academia de Marinha.

Reviews for Portuguese Dragoons, 1966-1974: The Return to Horseback

"""This quick-read book is an excellent abbreviated history of cavalry use and tactics from olden times up to today... Recommended if you like obscure military topics, cavalry, asymmetric forces, colonial domination and indigenous struggles for returning control of their lands.""-- ""IPMS/USA"" ""Enjoyed it.""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"" ""When you add in a lot of great photos as well as the usual color profiles, you have a book that really is a lot more interesting than it seems when you start reading.""-- ""ModelingMadness.Com"""