Soviet African Policy is currently in a consolidation phase. It is true that the 1970's brought the Soviet Union great military and political successes in Angola and Ethiopia — successes which signaled not only a new stage in Soviet strategic capabilities but also a new ability and willingness to influence events far from its borders. However, these triumphs should not blind us to the constraints under which the USSR has labored, the resulting limits on its influence, and the ensuing move away from interventionist activism.