[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies.]
This text is an excellent overview of the ins-and-outs of Anglo-Rhodesian diplomacy in 1979 and should serve as a starting point for anyone interested in understanding its chronology. The book itself is well-laid out. At appropriate points this references the documents that make up the main text of the book, giving the reader a clear sense of how these interlink with the march of events. There is a helpful list of dramatis personae, a necessary inclusion for anyone trying to keep up with the identities of the many, many people who were involved in the discussions of 1979. The sources themselves are laid out in a way that is easy to use, with the key details necessary for reference and understanding close at hand on the page. They are supplemented by helpful footnotes with further detail (such as attendees of meetings) as appropriate.
House of Lords debate: The Commonwealth and Zimbabwe (January 2023)
Zimbabwe’s elections and the Commonwealth: The challenge of how to deal with ‘business as usual’
Reading the documents in this book it is a wonder that Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) was ever brought to an end at all. Clearly Lord Carrington, the Foreign Secretary, did not believe that it would. Given the many rounds of failed talks since 1965 there can be few who believed that a solution would be found at Lancaster House in 1979. Nevertheless, a solution was found, and it allowed ‘Zimbabwe-Rhodesia’ to gain legal independence as Zimbabwe in 1980. As the authors point out, there were many members of the Conservative Party who hoped that Mrs Thatcher would recognise ‘Zimbabwe-Rhodesia’ based on the Internal Settlement and the election of 1979. The FCO faced the challenge of not only advising ministers what the pitfalls of such a strategy would be, but also offering them viable alternatives that might lead to an end to the crisis. All this against the background of unsuccessful talks and increasing antagonism dating back to the early 1970s. The editors are careful to include material from the very beginning of the Conservative government that shows the development of the peace process that culminated in Lancaster House. These demonstrate not only the importance of American involvement, but also the frustration felt amongst British officials at the glacial pace of developments in ‘Zimbabwe-Rhodesia’ and the lack of flexibility shown by its leadership. It is also clear that no one had a clear plan for how to end the crisis and that there was nothing preordained about the course that was taken.
To reiterate, this book offers scholars a useful set of printed sources, collated together for ease of use. Historians are increasingly aware of the importance of Rhodesian affairs, as part of British, African and imperial history, meaning that demand for primary material is greater than ever. The vast number of documents in the FCO files can, however, be daunting to researchers, especially those new to the field, and this volume does a great service by offering an excellent introduction to the sources available at the National Archives. For more seasoned researchers, it offers considerable depth and could support a range of projects. It would also be an excellent resource to support potential undergraduate depth studies into either Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence, or else the foreign policy of the Thatcher government. The editors are to be applauded for having done such an excellent job.
Hugh Pattendena is with the Centre for Imperial and Postcolonial Studies, University of Southampton, UK; Institute of Historical Research, University of London, UK.
The Lancaster House Conference and the Independence of Zimbabwe 1979 edited by Patrick Salmon and Richard Smith (Documents on British Policy Overseas, Series 3, Vol 14), London, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 2025.
