This is Today in History on Slow English FM, where we explore the people and events behind important dates. On November 11, 1975, Angola officially proclaimed independence from Portugal. The date had been set months earlier—but by the time it arrived, the plan for a shared transition had broken down.

The path to independence began with change in Portugal. On April 25, 1974, a military coup toppled the country’s long-standing authoritarian regime. Portugal’s new rulers sought to give up the costly colonial empire, including Angola.

In January 1975, Portugal and three Angolan liberation movements—the MPLA, the FNLA, and UNITA—concluded the Alvor Agreement at Alvor from January 10 to 15. The agreement set November 11, 1975, as the date for independence and established a transitional government that included the movements. That government was to take office on January 31.

The agreement also laid out a plan for sharing power. A three-member presidential college, with one member from each movement, would direct and coordinate the transitional government. Portugal and the three movements would appoint ministers in equal proportions. In other words, each participant had a place in the government, while the college was meant to guide its work. The government was to organize elections for a constituent assembly within nine months of its installation. A constituent assembly is a body elected to prepare a country’s constitution.

But the planned arrangement did not hold. The U.S. State Department’s historical account says trust between the groups broke down, and they fought for control. The country descended into civil war before independence.

The conflict also drew in outside powers. According to the U.S. State Department, the United States supplied aid and training to the FNLA and UNITA, while the Soviet Union provided training and equipment to the MPLA. Cuba and South Africa also intervened militarily.

On November 11, MPLA leader Agostinho Neto declared Angola’s independence in Luanda. Portugal’s colonial rule had ended, but the struggle over who would govern the new country continued. The U.S. State Department says South African forces withdrew in spring 1976; the MPLA remained the official government, while UNITA continued an insurgency.

That is Today in History on Slow English FM. Thanks for listening, and stay with us for more stories that connect the past with the world we share today.