A Study On U.S. Carter Administration's Foreign Policy Toward Southern Rhodesia(1977-1980)

In the 1960 s and 1970 s,the Southern Rhodesia issue in southern Africa was both a “decolonization” issue and an issue involving apartheid.Since 1965,when the Southern Rhodesia authorities unilaterally declared their independence,the Southern Rhodesia national liberation movement has been a core issue in southern Africa.In 1977,after Jimmy Carter came to power,the U.S.government adjusted its Southern Rhodesia policy,upgrading Southern Rhodesia from the “secondary position” of southern Africa to the “highest priority issue”.In January 1977,when President Carter came to power,he launched Presidential Review Memorandum/NSC–4,which made it clear that the Southern Rhodesia issue should be dominated by Britain and the U.S.created conditions for negotiations among the involved parties.In March 1977,President Carter issued the “Presidential Directive/NSC-5”,and then the U.S.Congress approved the repeal of the Byrd Amendment and trying to resolve the dispute by imposing comprehensive sanctions on Southern Rhodesia.In April 1977,British foreign secretary Owen proposed Anglo-American Proposals,but until the end of 1978,U.S.and Britain failed to reach an agreement with all parties in Southern Rhodesia on their problem resolution.At the same time,there began to be a voice in the U.S.to lift sanctions against Southern Rhodesia.In April 1979,the results of the internal elections in Southern Rhodesia were released,Muzorewa was elected,and Anglo-American Proposals declared defeat.In May 1979,the U.S.began to lead the process of the Southern Rhodesia issue when the British Mrs.Thatcher came to power.On the one hand,the U.S.maintained sanctions on Southern Rhodesia;on the other hand,it actively cooperated with the new British government to hold a constitutional conference.With the conclusion of the Lancaster House agreement and the lifting of U.S.sanctions,the Republic of Zimbabwe became independent on April 18,1980.The policy adjustment of the U.S.towards Southern Rhodesia from 1977 to 1980 was fundamentally restricted by the international cold war pattern and the U.S.cold war strategy.Based on the strategic offensive posture of the Soviet Union and its expansion in the third world,the U.S.government began to actively deal with the Southern Rhodesia issue.However,southern Africa has long been traditional British sphere of influence.Therefore,on the one hand,the U.S.needs to consolidate the special relationship between Britain and the U.S.,especially the need of the Anglo-American alliance to jointly contain the Soviet Union in Europe and other parts of the world;on the other hand,it has to conform to the national liberation movement and the basic public opinion of Southern Rhodesia,and morally support the “decolonization” of Southern Rhodesia.More importantly,policy coordination with Britain,pressure on Britain,supporting for the independence of Southern Rhodesia,and prevent Southern Rhodesia from falling to the Soviet Union after independence became the core of U.S.policy in Southern Rhodesia.Therefore,on the one hand,the Carter administration coordinated and pressed with Britain to advocate the “decolonization” of Southern Rhodesia.On the other hand,it also tried to compromise with the Britain and consolidated the Anglo-American alliance.Meanwhile,the Carter administration supported the national liberation movement in Southern Rhodesia on the one hand.On the other hand,everything was done to prevent it from falling to the Soviet Union.It can be said that the U.S.Carter administration's policy on Southern Rhodesia was to “walk a tightrope” between the Soviet Union,the Britain and the parties in Southern Rhodesia in order to maximize the interests of the U.S..Carter's idea of “human rights diplomacy” played an important role in promoting the “decolonization” of Southern Rhodesia and the settlement of ethnic issues.Various factors within the U.S.,including the U.S.State Department,Congress,and the Black Liberal Civil Rights Movement of the U.S.at that time,and the adjustment of the colonial policies of the British Mrs.Thatcher came to power,especially the people of southern African countries including Southern Rhodesia the hard struggle has shaped the Southern Rhodesia policy of the U.S.Carter administration.From 1977 to 1980,the Carter administration's policy on Southern Rhodesia not only consolidated the Anglo-American alliance,but also followed the trend of “decolonization” in Southern Rhodesia,which to some extent contained the influence of the Soviet Union in Southern Rhodesia and directly served the international cold war strategy of the U.S.The policy coordination between the U.S.and Britain on the issue of Southern Rhodesia promoted the adjustment of Britain's overseas colony policy,which became the basic model of the interaction between the U.S.and Britain in the future.But it is worth pointing out that U.S.sanctions and intervention in Southern Rhodesia have also created problems for the development of the new Zimbabwe.