WHIB Zimbabwe

Cecil Rhodes

British business man

British South Africa Company

Founded by Cecil Rhodes, governed Rhodesia until 1923, received royal charter following Rudd Concession

BSAC was a merger of which companies?

Rhode’s Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd

Who provided financial backing for BSAC?

Baron Nathan de Rothschild, Cecil Rhodes, and Alfred Breit

Cecil Rhodes’ Previous Business Venture

De Beers (diamond mining)

King Lobengula

Ndebele king who signed the Rudd Concession, then tried to renounce the concession after discovering what was in it

Rudd Concession

1888, Gaves Rhodes and BSAC mining rights in Matabeleland, used to get BSAC a royal charter

How was Lobengula deceived about the Rudd Concession?

Many of its terms were given orally, but were not in the written version

Primary products of Rhodesia

Chrome and tobacco

1st Chimurenga Alternate Name

2nd Matabele War

1st Chimurenga Years

1896-7

1st Chimurenga Belligerents

BSAC vs Matabele and Shona

Where was BSAC’s army at the start of the 1st Chimurenga?`

In South Africa, doing the Jameson Raid

The Jameson Raid

Failed raid by BSAC police into the Transvaal, meant to start an uprising by British expats against the Boers, caused Rhodes to be removed from his post as Prime Minister of Rhodesia

Leader of Matabele and Shona in 1st Chimurenga

The Mlimo, a Matabele spiritual leader

Siege of Bulawayo

Matabele forces besieged Bulawayo. They at ~10k soldiers, but did not assault due to the Whites’ Maxim guns. Ended when British relief forces arrived.

How did the 1st Chimurenga end?

Mlimo was assassinated, though his identity was not verified

WWI in Rhodesia

No official BSAC support, many Whites fought a long with some Black people

Land Apportionment Act (1930)

Africans could only own land in “Native Purchase Areas,” which quickly became overpopulated. Origin of land reform as an issue.

WWII in Rhodesia

• Rhodesia contributed soldiers

• Had notably good airmen

• 10k Black men were drafted to provide labor

• The war sparked huge growth and industrialization

• Population in 1951 was twice the pre-war population

• Led to waiving customs between Rhodesia and South Africa in 1948-53

  • Made Godfrey Huggins secure in his position as Prime Minister

Bledisloe Commission

• 1937-9

• Recommended unifying Southern and Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland

• Noted that unification would harm Africans

  • Laid groundwork for Central African Federation

Native Land Husbandry Act

1951 act, tried to fix problems of the Land Apportionment Act and encouraged workers to stay in cities rather than farming

Unlawful Organizations Act

1959 act banning certain organizations, including the ANC and PAC. Passed shortly after the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa

ANC

African National Congress, anti-apartheid group, supports multiracialism

PAC

Pan Africanist Congress, a South Africa-based African nationalist group that rejected multiracialism

Wind of Change Speech

• 1960 speech by British PM Harold MacMillan in Cape Town (previously in Accra, Ghana)

• Announced Conservative Party support for decolonization (Labor Party already supported decolonization)

  • Isolated South Africa and Rhodesia

Black Churches in Rhodesia

Served as outlet for discontent

Central African Federation

• Federation of Southern and Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland

• Lasted 1953-63

Outcomes of CAF Countries

• Northern Rhodesia becomes Zambia in 1964

• Nyasaland becomes Malawi in 1964

  • Southern Rhodesia becomes Rhodesia and declares independence in 1965

Unilateral Declaration of Independence

• 1965

• S. Rhodesia becomes Rhodesia

• Declares independence from GB

Ian Smith

• PM of Rhodesia from 1964-79

• Formed Rhodesian Front

• Led during the Rhodesian Bush War

  • Caused growing isolation

ZAPU

• Led by Nkomo

• Initially also led by Sithole and Mugabe

• Soviet-backed

• Armed wing: ZIPRA

• Primarily Ndebele

• Merged with ZANU in 1987 Unity Accords

ZANU

• Splinter group of ZAPU

• Formed 1963

• Led by Sithole, then Mugabe

• China-backed

• Armed wing: ZANLA

• Primarily Shona

  • Merged with ZAPU in 1987 Unity AccordsM

Maoism vs. Leninism

Maoism believes in a coalition of revolutionaries

Mugabe (brief summary)

• ZANU leader

• Prime minister from 1980-7

• President after 1987

Nkomo

ZAPU leader, opposition leader under Mugabe

Rhodesian Front

Political party, founded by Ian Smith

Sanctions on Rhodesia

• GB froze assets and embargoed Rhodesia

  • UN declared sanctions

Battle of Sinoia

• 1st battle of Rhodesian Bush War

• 1966

  • 7 ZANLA guerrillas killed by police

Protected Villages

• Fortified villages

• African forced to live in them

• Meant to isolate them from ZANU and ZAPU

  • Done in Operation Overload and Overload Two

Land Mines

• ZANLA put anti-tank mines on roads

  • Mines made by Soviets

  • Meant to cripple economy and war effort

  • Resulted in vehicles such as the Leopard APC

• Rhodesian army laid mines along borders with Zambia and Mozambique

Frontline States

• Organization of anti-apartheid nations

• Included Lesotho, Tanzania, and Zambia at first

• Later included Angola, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique (after independence)

Selous Scouts

• Rhodesian special forces unit

• Reputation for brutality

• Involved in chemical and biological weapons program

Chemical and Biological Weapons in the Rhodesian Bush War

• Selous Scouts contaminated food in rural stores and other areas that guerrillas would raid

• 1976: Selous Scouts spread Cholera in the Ruya River and the town of Cochemane in Mozambique

Bishop Abel Muzora

• Prime Minister under Internal Settlement, 1979-80

• Moderate

• Lost reelection in 1980

Internal Settlement

• 1978

• Between Ian Smith and African leaders, such as Muzora and Sithole

• Created interim government

War of Attrition

Military strategy meant to wear down the opponent

South Africa in Rhodesian Bush War

Gave covert aid to Rhodesia but gave less as the war went on

Zambia and Mozambique in Rhodesian Bush War

ZANLA and ZIPRA had bases in these countries

Operation Eland

• Rhodesian forces crossed into Mozambique

• Killed 300

• Rhodesia said the dead were ZANLA, ZANLA and ZIPRA claimed they were refugees

Operation Aztec

Rhodesian raid on ZANLA forces in Mozambique

Zimbabwe Rhodesia

Name for country under Internal Settlement

Lancaster House Agreement

• 1979

• Ended Rhodesian Bush War

• Nullified UDI

• Made Zimbabwe Rhodesian temporarily a British colony while elections took place

• Signed by Muzorewa, Mugabe and Nkomo

Mugabe’s Leadership Code

• 1984

• Senior leaders could not have more than one salary

• Could not own more than 50 acres of land

• Mugabe gave exceptions (ex: to General Solomon Mujuru) → grew corruption among leaders and resentment among wider population

How did the number of schools change under Mugabe?

177 in 1980 →1548 in 2000

How did literacy change under Mugabe?

62% in 1980 → 82% in 2000

How did immunization change under Mugabe?

25% in 1980 → 92% in 2000

Relations with GB post-independence

• GB financed land reform

• Gave military advisors to help integrate ZANLA and ZIPRA into national army

• Relations declained under GB PM Tony Blair (PM 1997-2007)

  • Stopped funding land reform

  • Condemned human rights violations

Foreign Aid for Zimbabwe

• US gave $25 mil over 3 years

• GB gave military advisors to help integrate ZANLA and ZIPRA into a national army

• GB funded land reform

Cold Politics in Zimbabwe

US and GB want influence to counter Communist influence

Economic Boom in Zimbabwe

• 20% growth in 1980-1, as sanctions were lifted

• Dropped due to drought

• Recovered in 1985 as farming boomed

Willing Seller, Willing Buyer

• 1st phase of land reform

• Enacted by Lancaster House Agreement for 10 years

• Made little progress

  • Leaders lacked training

  • Funds were used for defense instead of land reform

ZANU-ZAPU Tensions

• ZANU did Gukurahundi against ZAPU supporters

• Merged both into ZANU-PF under Unity Accords

• ZAPU remains an opposition party

Unity Accords

• 1987

• Merged ZANU and ZAPU into ZANU-PF

• ZAPU withdrew in 2008

Gukurahundi

• 1982-7

• ZANU killed 20k Ndebele and Kalanga people

• Intended to eliminate dissidents and opposition

• Done by the 5th Brigade

• Led to Unity Accords

5th Brigade

• Brigrade created from ZANLA troops in 1981

• Trained by North Korea

Shift to Authoritarianism

• 1987 - Constitution amended to make Mugabe “executive president” with the powers of head of state, government, and military. Also reduced parliament’s power

• Targeted violence against MDC supporters

Operation Murambatsvina

• Operation Move the Rubbish

• 2005

• Displaced 700k people

• Burned and destroyed slums

• Targeted MDC supporters

Racial Tensions in Zimbabwe

• 1980: 1/10th of White population left for South Africa

• 1981: White militants blamed for bombing of ZANU-PF headquarters

• 1982: White militants destroy military aircraft, White military officers arrested

• 1985: Ian Smith’s Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe wins 15/20 seats for Whites