Molly Conger

Rhodesia was never recognized as a sovereign state, but we're calling Rhodesia here as the present day state of Zimbabwe in Southern Africa. In the early 20th century, Rhodesia was a British territory, the legacy of Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company. The area was effectively ruled by the company until the 1920s when it became a self-governing colony of the UK.

And by the 1950s, decolonization was happening all across the African continent. These fading European empires couldn't or didn't want to hold on to all the colonies they'd collected during the previous century's scramble for Africa.

And by the 1950s, decolonization was happening all across the African continent. These fading European empires couldn't or didn't want to hold on to all the colonies they'd collected during the previous century's scramble for Africa.

And by the 1950s, decolonization was happening all across the African continent. These fading European empires couldn't or didn't want to hold on to all the colonies they'd collected during the previous century's scramble for Africa.

In 1960, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan gave his Wind of Change speech in an address to the South African Parliament about the political necessity of moving toward decolonization.

In 1960, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan gave his Wind of Change speech in an address to the South African Parliament about the political necessity of moving toward decolonization.

In 1960, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan gave his Wind of Change speech in an address to the South African Parliament about the political necessity of moving toward decolonization.

He'd actually given the same speech a few weeks earlier in Ghana, but the press didn't pick it up the first time. And I think the whether we like it or not part of that statement matters a lot here. He wasn't advocating for decolonization out of the goodness of his heart. He was reluctantly acknowledging the expensive and bloody political reality of trying to hold on to these colonies at any cost.

He'd actually given the same speech a few weeks earlier in Ghana, but the press didn't pick it up the first time. And I think the whether we like it or not part of that statement matters a lot here. He wasn't advocating for decolonization out of the goodness of his heart. He was reluctantly acknowledging the expensive and bloody political reality of trying to hold on to these colonies at any cost.

He'd actually given the same speech a few weeks earlier in Ghana, but the press didn't pick it up the first time. And I think the whether we like it or not part of that statement matters a lot here. He wasn't advocating for decolonization out of the goodness of his heart. He was reluctantly acknowledging the expensive and bloody political reality of trying to hold on to these colonies at any cost.

He could see the Belgians in Congo and the French in Algeria fighting these costly wars with Africans who wanted an end to European colonial rule.

He could see the Belgians in Congo and the French in Algeria fighting these costly wars with Africans who wanted an end to European colonial rule.

He could see the Belgians in Congo and the French in Algeria fighting these costly wars with Africans who wanted an end to European colonial rule.

And as they worked towards extricating themselves from these colonial arrangements, the British government adopted a policy called No Independence Before Majority Rule, meaning they wouldn't hand over sovereignty to a colony still run exclusively by the white colonial minority.

And as they worked towards extricating themselves from these colonial arrangements, the British government adopted a policy called No Independence Before Majority Rule, meaning they wouldn't hand over sovereignty to a colony still run exclusively by the white colonial minority.

And as they worked towards extricating themselves from these colonial arrangements, the British government adopted a policy called No Independence Before Majority Rule, meaning they wouldn't hand over sovereignty to a colony still run exclusively by the white colonial minority.

Now, obviously, this is an immensely complicated bit of political history that I'm stripping down to the studs and explaining badly so we can get through it quickly. So don't think I'm giving the British Empire any kind of credit here. This policy did not arise out of a genuine desire to undo the harms of colonialism and address racism or anything like that. That was not on their minds.

Now, obviously, this is an immensely complicated bit of political history that I'm stripping down to the studs and explaining badly so we can get through it quickly. So don't think I'm giving the British Empire any kind of credit here. This policy did not arise out of a genuine desire to undo the harms of colonialism and address racism or anything like that. That was not on their minds.

Now, obviously, this is an immensely complicated bit of political history that I'm stripping down to the studs and explaining badly so we can get through it quickly. So don't think I'm giving the British Empire any kind of credit here. This policy did not arise out of a genuine desire to undo the harms of colonialism and address racism or anything like that. That was not on their minds.

But I think they knew what it would look like if their decolonization looked exactly like their colony. And we're not talking about a PR loss here. This is the Cold War. They don't want to give the Soviets an opportunity to come in behind them. But it was this policy, or rather defiance of it, that led Rhodesia, under Ian Smith, to make the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965.