As the last countries in Africa, the Portuguese colonies reached their independence after a ten-year war of independence, which was only ended by the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974. Development aid together with Military aid, played an important role in the conflict between the rival Great Powers in the cold war for their spheres of interest in Africa. The inflow of international development aid, especially to Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, also opened up opportunities for the social scientific research of these societies by international scientists. The violent decolonisation led to long-lasting Civil wars in Angola and Mozambique and to a Coup d'état in Guinea-Bissau in 1998, followed by a one-year Civil war.