Rhodesia
Rhodesia was a country in southern Africa, existing for a period following its formation through British colonial expansion in the late 19th century and enduring until its transformation into Zimbabwe in 1980.
The nation was named after Cecil Rhodes, an influential figure in the British Empire, who aimed to expand British influence and territory across Africa.
Early History and Establishment
Before European arrival, the region was inhabited by various African tribes, notably the Matabele and the Mashona. The Matabele, led by King Lobengula, exerted control over the Mashona, often engaging in raids that involved slaughtering or enslaving the Mashona people.
Cecil Rhodes, driven by his vision of British expansion, saw the lands north of the Transvaal as vital to his objective of painting Africa "Imperial Red". His initial efforts focused on securing Bechuanaland (modern-day Botswana), which he considered the Suez Canal of the trade of this country, the key of its road to the interior. Following this, he set his sights on Lobengula's territory.
In 1888, the Rudd Concession was signed between Lobengula and Rhodes's representatives. This agreement granted Rhodes's company the complete and exclusive charge over all metals and minerals within Lobengula's dominions. Lobengula, who was illiterate, reportedly believed this meant only a few White men would dig for gold, not that he was surrendering his entire kingdom.
To administer and develop these vast territories, Rhodes formed the British South Africa Company (BSAC), which was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria on 29 October 1889. This charter gave the BSAC extensive powers, including the right to form a police force, enter treaties, acquire further concessions, and exercise governmental authority in the territories it controlled, albeit with stipulations to abolish the slave trade, limit liquor sales, and respect local customs.
In 1890, the BSAC funded the Pioneer Column, which departed from Kimberley and advanced into Mashonaland. On 12 September 1890, they established Fort Salisbury, which would become Rhodesia's future capital. Dr. Leander Starr Jameson was appointed as the administrator of Mashonaland and was well-regarded by the settlers.
Early Conflicts and Development
The BSAC faced continuous challenges from the Matabele, who continued their raids into Mashonaland, disrupting settler economic activities that relied on Mashona labour. This situation created an unavoidable conflict, as Lobengula's economy also depended on these raids.
The escalating tensions led to the First Matabele War in 1893. Following a Matabele raid into Mashonaland where they slaughtered Mashona labourers near Fort Victoria, Dr. Jameson confronted the Matabele impi and ordered them to withdraw. Upon their refusal to leave the Mashona refugees, Captain Lendy's forces engaged the Matabele, killing several warriors. Rhodes gave his sanction for war, and volunteers were recruited with promises of land and gold claims. The Matabele, despite their numbers, were decisively defeated by the superior firepower of the White forces, particularly the Maxim gun, at battles such as Shangani and Bembesi. Lobengula fled north and later died, reportedly from smallpox. European settlement of the former Matabele capital, Bulawayo, began, and natives were relocated to less desirable lands.
Following the Matabele War, Cecil Rhodes, then Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, became embroiled in the Jameson Raid in December 1895. This was a clandestine attempt to incite an uprising among the "Outlanders" (non-Boer Europeans) in the Transvaal and overthrow President Paul Kruger's government. Dr. Jameson led an armed force into the Transvaal but was ultimately defeated by Boer commandos. This unauthorised raid led to Rhodes's resignation as Prime Minister and severely depleted the BSAC's police force in Rhodesia.
The weakened state of the BSAC forces contributed to the outbreak of the Second Matabele War, or the Matabeleland Rebellion, in March 1896. The Matabele, disenfranchised and dispossessed of much of their land and cattle, including their traditional communal herds, rose in rebellion, urged on by the priests of the Matabele god, Mlimo.
The Matabele specifically targeted White settlers, women, and children, committing gruesome atrocities. The Mashona also unexpectedly joined the uprising in June 1896, slaughtering over a hundred White women and children.
During this period, Frederick Russell Burnham, an American scout, played a significant role. His two-year-old daughter, Nada, died in Bulawayo during the siege conditions of the rebellion, fueling his desire for vengeance against the natives. Burnham participated in battles, notably at the Amuza River where Matabele forces planning an attack on Bulawayo were routed, and he personally executed wounded Matabele on the battlefield.
To break the rebellion's spiritual leadership, Burnham, accompanied by Native Commissioner Bonar Armstrong, undertook a perilous mission to kill the Mlimo. On 23 June 1896, Burnham shot the Mlimo in his cave, an act widely believed to have demoralised the Matabele and contributed to the end of the rebellion. Rhodes later personally negotiated a peace settlement with the Matabele leaders in the Matopo Hills, acknowledging their grievances and promising changes, including the disbandment of the unpopular native police force.
The Rhodesian War (1964-1979)
Southern Rhodesia, having been a self-governing colony, rejected an offer of independence from Great Britain after World War II. It subsequently formed a federation with Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi). However, the British later granted independence to the northern territories while denying it to Southern Rhodesia, simultaneously demanding that Southern Rhodesia transition to black majority rule.
Rhodesian leaders asserted that the country maintained the highest living standards for blacks on the continent, apart from South Africa, and provided superior facilities in health, education, housing, and culture compared to British-administered territories to the north. They argued for a gradual transition to majority rule to avoid the chaos and collapse seen in other newly independent African nations like the Congo, where European-built civilisation had immediately collapsed into anarchy and violence.
While Rhodesia had multi-racial voting, qualifications for voting existed, and the majority of Africans preferred their traditional tribal lives under chiefs, who were generally pro-government.
The British government's insistence on immediate black majority rule led to Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) on 11 November 1965. This marked the beginning of the Rhodesian War, often misrepresented as a struggle by racist White settlers defending an apartheid regime.
Rhodesian authorities countered that the conflict was against Communist terrorists who harassed and killed Africans who refused to support them, and destroyed schools and other infrastructure built by the White administration.
Despite crippling international sanctions, the Rhodesian economy prospered. The Rhodesian security forces maintained an exceptionally high kill-death ratio against the terrorists, often as high as 10:1 overall, with some Rhodesian Light Infantry units achieving 40:1 or 50:1. However, the overwhelming numbers of black terrorists meant they could sustain losses that the smaller Rhodesian forces could not.
A pivotal event in the war was the shooting down of Aerolinea Flight 825 on 3 September 1978 by a Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) missile team. The plane crashed, killing 38 of 52 on board, and tragically, 10 of the 18 initial survivors, including women and children, were massacred at point-blank range by the terrorists. Joshua Nkomo, the ZAPU leader, claimed responsibility for downing the plane and, when questioned, notoriously laughed, asserting that civilians were legitimate military targets. This act and Nkomo's response ignited anger across Rhodesia, leading to widespread calls for retribution.
In response, the Rhodesian security forces launched Operation Gatling on 19 October 1978, a coordinated air and ground assault against ZAPU bases in Zambia. The operation targeted major ZAPU camps, including Freedom Camp, Makushi (Bumbo Roma), and the CGT complexes.
The attacks involved English Electric Camber bombers, Hunter jets, and SAS (Special Air Service) paratroopers and heli-troopers. Freedom Camp was obliterated, with hundreds of terrorists killed. At Makushi, over 400 terrorists, many of whom were women trained in urban warfare, were killed. While the CGT complexes were mostly found deserted, the overall operation was a resounding success, resulting in approximately 1,500 terrorist deaths and 1,350 wounded, with minimal Rhodesian casualties.
The Fall of Rhodesia and Legacy
Despite military victories, Rhodesia faced increasing international pressure, including from the South African government, to accept black majority rule. The nation eventually accepted a transitional government and, in 1980, an unsatisfactory deal brokered by the British was signed, leading to Robert Mugabe coming to power. This transition, influenced by intimidation during elections, led to a dramatic decline in the White population, from nearly 300,000 to approximately 50,000 by 2000, and 30,000 in 2020.
Following the handover, Zimbabwe experienced severe economic collapse, with unemployment rising to 95% and inflation reaching catastrophic levels. White-owned farms were confiscated and redistributed to blacks who often lacked the expertise to manage them, leading to widespread famine in what was once known as the bread basket of Africa.
Inter-tribal violence also escalated. Some residents of Zimbabwe today reflect that life was better under the previous Rhodesian regime. The story of Rhodesia is viewed as an illustration of how emotional virtue signalling can corrupt politics, leading to the collapse of a functioning state.