During the 1960s, many independence movements emerged in countries near Rhodesia, which had significant effects on political affairs and social conditions within Rhodesia.

1960 to 1964

Iain Peter Butchart, a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er, was born in Bulawayo on 9 May 1960. Broadcasting of television started in November. The

Zimbabwe African People's Union The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with the Zimba ...

(ZAPU) was formed in 1961 with

Joshua Nkomo Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo (19 June 1917 – 1 July 1999) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and Matabeleland politician who served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 1990 until his death in 1999. He founded and led the Zimbabwe African People's ...

as leader. The

Rhodesian Front The Rhodesian Front was a right-wing conservative political party in Southern Rhodesia, subsequently known as Rhodesia. It was the last ruling party of Southern Rhodesia prior to that country's unilateral declaration of independence, and the rul ...

won the general elections of 1962 on 14 December.

Winston Field Winston Joseph Field (6 June 1904 – 17 March 1969) was a Rhodesian politician who served as the seventh Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia. Field was a former Dominion Party MP who founded the Rhodesian Front political party with Ian Smith. ...

then became the Prime Minister of Rhodesia. The

Zimbabwe African National Union The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant organisation that fought against white minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). ZANU split in 1975 into wings loyal to Robert Muga ...

(ZANU) was formed in 1963 with Robert Mugabe as Secretary. The

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation or CAF, was a colonial federation that consisted of three southern African territories: the Self-governing colony, self-governing British colony of Southe ...

was dissolved on 31 December 1963 as

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

and

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

moved towards independence. The government placed

, leader and founder of the

Zimbabwe African Peoples Union The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with the Zimb ...

, under restriction on 16 April 1964.

Northern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate in southern Africa, south central Africa, now the independent country of Zambia. It was formed in 1911 by Amalgamation (politics), amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of Barotziland-North-West ...

gained its independence and

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

became the colony of Rhodesia on 24 October.

1965

Ian Smith unilaterally declared the independence (UDI) of

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965. The Rhodesian government then established a new constitution.

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...

, the British Prime Minister, declared the UDI illegal and an act of

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

on 12 November. The United Nations Security Council declared the UDI illegal on 19 November, calling on Britain to end the rebellion. The British government suspended the Governor and Directors of Reserve Bank of Rhodesia and froze Rhodesian reserves in Britain on 3 December. Britain imposed total economic sanctions against Rhodesia on 12 December. Harold Wilson appealed to the United Nations for support to end the Rhodesian rebellion on 16 December. The British government declared an oil embargo against Rhodesia on 17 December.

1966 to 1967

The United Nations Security Council agreed that the United Kingdom should use force to prevent oil from reaching Rhodesia via Beira, Mozambique on 10 April 1966. Ian Smith, the Rhodesian Prime Minister, and

, the British Prime Minister, met on 2 December 1966 on

HMS Tiger Fifteen ships of the British Royal Navy have carried the name HMS ''Tiger'' after the feline tiger, with a number of others provisionally bearing the name at various stages in their construction: 'HMS' - the abbreviation for 'His' or 'Her Majesty ...

to discuss the possibility of a settlement. The United Nations voted for selected mandatory sanctions, including oil, against Rhodesia on 16 December.

and the South African

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

formed an alliance in January 1967 for armed struggle against

and South Africa. Cuthbert Alport, Baron Alport and former High Commissioner to Central African Federation, visited Rhodesia on 14 June to discover whether the stalemate could be broken.

1968 to 1969

In 1968 the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

opened and the Gonarezhou National Park was declared. The

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

approved comprehensive mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia through Resolution 253 on 29 May. Ian Smith, the Rhodesian Prime Minister, and

, the British Prime Minister, met on HMS Fearless for talks from 10–13 October.

George Thomson George Thomson may refer to: Government and politics * George Thomson (MP for Southwark) (c. 1607–1691), English merchant and Parliamentarian soldier, official and politician * George Thomson, Baron Thomson of Monifieth (1921–2008), Scottish p ...

, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs and Maurice Foley, British Under-Secretary of State, visited Rhodesia for talks on 2 November. The talks ended in deadlock. George Thomson and Maurice Foley met with detained activists,

of the

and

Ndabaningi Sithole Ndabaningi Sithole (21 July 1920 – 12 December 2000) founded the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant organisation that opposed the government of Rhodesia, in July 1963.Veenhoven, Willem Adriaan, Ewing, and Winifred Crum. ''Cas ...

, founder of the

, on 7 November. Ebrahim Essop-Adam, a cricket player, was born in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

on 16 November. The government held a referendum on a new Constitution and Republican status on 20 June 1969. Humphrey Gibbs resigned as Governor of Rhodesia on 24 June. The British Residual Mission in

, and Rhodesia House in London, both closed on 14 July.

Births

*9 January 1967 –

Gary Teichmann Gary Hamilton Teichmann (born 9 January 1967) is a retired South African professional rugby union player. He played number eight and captained the South African national team, the Springboks, between 1995 and 1999. Teichmann stands 1.95 metres ...

, rugby player

References

{{reflist 1960s decade overviews