Molly Conger

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.

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.

White colonists made up just 5% of the population of the territory, but they were unwilling to accept that the UK would only grant Rhodesian independence if they shared even a crumb of political power with the other 95% of Rhodesians. And apologies again for these digressions. I just love the context. I think it's so important.

White colonists made up just 5% of the population of the territory, but they were unwilling to accept that the UK would only grant Rhodesian independence if they shared even a crumb of political power with the other 95% of Rhodesians. And apologies again for these digressions. I just love the context. I think it's so important.

White colonists made up just 5% of the population of the territory, but they were unwilling to accept that the UK would only grant Rhodesian independence if they shared even a crumb of political power with the other 95% of Rhodesians. And apologies again for these digressions. I just love the context. I think it's so important.

But that brings us to where we were going, the Rhodesian Bush War, a 15-year period of civil conflict between the white minority-led government and the African nationalist guerrilla forces. The number of foreign mercenaries who actually traveled to Rhodesia during the war remains up for debate. Most of the countries the mercenaries came from were embarrassed by the whole affair.

But that brings us to where we were going, the Rhodesian Bush War, a 15-year period of civil conflict between the white minority-led government and the African nationalist guerrilla forces. The number of foreign mercenaries who actually traveled to Rhodesia during the war remains up for debate. Most of the countries the mercenaries came from were embarrassed by the whole affair.

But that brings us to where we were going, the Rhodesian Bush War, a 15-year period of civil conflict between the white minority-led government and the African nationalist guerrilla forces. The number of foreign mercenaries who actually traveled to Rhodesia during the war remains up for debate. Most of the countries the mercenaries came from were embarrassed by the whole affair.

International sanctions levied against the territory after the illegal declaration of independence made it illegal for citizens of many countries to participate in the conflict, even in countries that didn't have their own domestic laws banning mercenary activity.

International sanctions levied against the territory after the illegal declaration of independence made it illegal for citizens of many countries to participate in the conflict, even in countries that didn't have their own domestic laws banning mercenary activity.

International sanctions levied against the territory after the illegal declaration of independence made it illegal for citizens of many countries to participate in the conflict, even in countries that didn't have their own domestic laws banning mercenary activity.

And there was some discomfort within Rhodesia, too, about this perception that they needed foreigners to help with what they saw as their war for independence. So for deeply unflattering and regrettable reasons, no one was very invested in getting a thorough accounting of the situation, right? Nobody benefits from knowing what happened here.

And there was some discomfort within Rhodesia, too, about this perception that they needed foreigners to help with what they saw as their war for independence. So for deeply unflattering and regrettable reasons, no one was very invested in getting a thorough accounting of the situation, right? Nobody benefits from knowing what happened here.

And there was some discomfort within Rhodesia, too, about this perception that they needed foreigners to help with what they saw as their war for independence. So for deeply unflattering and regrettable reasons, no one was very invested in getting a thorough accounting of the situation, right? Nobody benefits from knowing what happened here.

But at the high end, it was really only a few thousand mercenaries over the total course of the conflict, with best estimates for the number of them who were Americans being somewhere in the low hundreds. So a lot of guys talked about But not very many of them actually did it.

But at the high end, it was really only a few thousand mercenaries over the total course of the conflict, with best estimates for the number of them who were Americans being somewhere in the low hundreds. So a lot of guys talked about But not very many of them actually did it.

But at the high end, it was really only a few thousand mercenaries over the total course of the conflict, with best estimates for the number of them who were Americans being somewhere in the low hundreds. So a lot of guys talked about But not very many of them actually did it.

This idea of American extremists traveling to Africa to violently enforce white rule over black Africans is one that modern white supremacists still cherish and celebrate.

This idea of American extremists traveling to Africa to violently enforce white rule over black Africans is one that modern white supremacists still cherish and celebrate.

This idea of American extremists traveling to Africa to violently enforce white rule over black Africans is one that modern white supremacists still cherish and celebrate.