On the 11th of November, 1965 – exactly 60 years ago today – the Rhodesian cabinet issued their Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
Rhodesia’s Prime Minister, Ian Smith, made it clear that Rhodesia’s issue was with Harold Wilson’s godawful Labour Government, and that Rhodesia remained completely loyal to the Crown:
Of course, white rule in Rhodesia couldn’t – and shouldn’t – last forever, but anyone with a brain knew that Wilson’s insistence on an instant change to full democracy would send the Colony down the toilet… which is what, of course, ultimately happened.
How different things might have been had Britain not been saddled with a PM who was suspected of Communist sympathies at the time. Had Britain and Rhodesia been able to come to an agreement on a steady, gradual move to full democracy, and had British forces been deployed to assist the Rhodesians to defeat the Marxist terrorists, Rhodesia could have ended up as a successful, well-run, wealthy African nation – and one which remained a staunch British ally.
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Celebrating 60 years in Penzance. In my mind EVERY day. Rhody flag is up above our bed, and we’re surrounded by Dennis Thomson copper animal pictures. My wife’s showing off her ‘Nala’ lion king plushy wearing a bush camo kiko cap and short shorts!
New Rhodesia will Rise Again! Hopefully over the cold embers of treacherous Mad Island.
I know I’m not alone in this view, but using armistice day to make political statements like UDI is not well received – point made, but some other occasion as they lost respect and support by pulling this stunt.
A certain kind of madness / hubris thinking that this would work
WHAT were the Rhodesians thinking ?
A thousand year reign – and the war over by Christmas – where have we heard those words before
Like Hitler thinking he could defeat Russia – when he had Napoleon as a clear example of why this would fail
The take over of Rhodesia was the stepping stone to South Africa – the DOMINO theory if you will.
I would like to suggest that people go and read a book by Wilbur Smith – “The Sunbird”
You may then understand why on every hard cover Wilbur Smith book there is an embossed sunbird on the cover
Why his trust was named the Sunbird Trust
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