Research On The Policy Of British Decolonization To Zimbabwe From 1965 To 1980

After the World War Ⅱ,the international situation has undergone profound changes.The old colonies countries in the West have failed to support the huge overseas colonies.In addition,the awakening of the national consciousness of the colonial people and the vigorous development of the national liberation movement,the former colonies and affiliated countries of the Asia-Africa region are independent.From the perspective of the colonial people,this is a “national independence” or “national liberation” movement;for Western colonists,this is its action or forced “colonial retreat” or “transfer of power”,the so-called “Decolonization”.This paper is controlled by the research perspective and archival historical data.From the perspective of the colonizer,the author uses the British historical data to explain the British decolonization policy toward Zimbabwe from 1965 to 1980.The main body of the article is consists of three chapters.The first chapter,“The Origin of the ‘Decolonization’ Policy in the Post-war Britain and the Southern Rhodesian Crisis”,discusses the background of the "decolonization" policy initiated by the United Kingdom after World War II and the origin of the crisis in Southern Rhodesia.After the World War II,with the constant changes in the international and domestic situations,Britain had to adjust its colonial policy in Southern Rhodesia.In 1953,the United Kingdom adopted the “combined and ruled” colonialism and established the Central African Federation,but the Union was not stable and disintegrated in 1963.After the disintegration of the Federation,North Rhodesia and Nyasaland gained independence,and Southern Rhodesia also actively sought independence.However,the United Kingdom feared that its interests were damaged and continued to disagree,which directly resulted in the emergence of the Southern Rhodesia issue.After Smith took office,he unilaterally declared independence and set up a government in which a small number of white people dominated,causing opposition at home and abroad.At this time,the United Kingdom only adopted negotiation and economic sanctions to solve the problem,while the effects of negotiations and economic sanctions were limited,and the South Rhodesia issue was not resolved.The second chapter,“Negotiations between the British and the Southern Rhodesia White regime”,is mainly the four rounds of talks between the British and the whites regime of Smith.Four talks were: Lusaka talks;Victoria Falls talks;Kissinger talks with Geneva;and internal settlement negotiations.In the 1970 s,in order to prevent the Soviet Union from interfering in southern Africa and safeguarding its own interests,the British and American governments launched peace talk on the South Rhodesia issue.Owing to the intransigence of Smith,the talks ended in failure.The third chapter is “The Lancaster Conference and Zimbabwe’s true independence”,In the late 1970 s,with the progress of the international and domestic situation,Britain was determined to get rid of the burden of Rhodesia.On September 10,1979,the Lancaster meeting was opened.The parties to the meeting mainly negotiated on three major issues: first,the issue of constitutionalism;second,the issue of arrangements for the transition period;and third,the issue of the ceasefire between the two sides.The meeting was held for three months,and after several twists and turns.The Lancaster agreement was successfully signed.According to the Lancaster Constitution signed by the parties,at the end of February 1980,under the supervision of the United Nations military,a general election founded on one person,one vote was held.The Zimbabwean Democratic League won the most votes in the election and won the victory.Mugabe became the prime minister.On April 18,1980,a new independent sovereign state,the Republic of Zimbabwe,was proclaimed.The article is concluded with a brief evaluation of the UK’s decolonization policy.Through more than a decade of domestic struggle,the Zimbabwean people forced the the British colonialists to gradually implement the “decolonization” policy,abandon the old colonial system and replace it with a new colonialism to continue to safeguard its interests in Zimbabwe.The process of decolonization in the economic and cultural fields in southern Africa still has a long way to go.