The Rhodesian Civil War (1966-1979)

One of the most tragic wars in Southern Africa’s history, the Rhodesian Civil War, raged for over a decade. Spanning from 1966 to 1979, the seeds for this conflict were sown almost a century earlier when, in 1889, the British South Africa Company was granted a Royal Charter to occupy land north of the Limpopo River. An inevitable clash of ideology and political ambitions ensued, culminating in the Rhodesian Government declaring unilateral independence in November 1965, a move that set the nation alight. This dramatic and detailed book maps out the critical events that led to war, identifying the combatants and detailing chronologically the salient events of the conflict. Through detailed narrative, Rhodesian History author John Frame, traces how international political interferences influenced the war, and why the Rhodesian Security Forces lost the war despite having won most of the battles. It showcases how Rhodesia was caught in the vice of the Cold War and the how, through the political ambitions of major powers, the combatants in this bloody war were not in control of their own destinies.