{{Otherpeople|Ian Smith}}
Image:Ian_Smith_on_Time.jpg ''TIME'' Magazine.]]
'''Ian Douglas Smith''' (born April_8, 1919) was the Premier of the British Crown_Colony of Southern_Rhodesia from April_13, 1964 to November_11, 1965 and the Prime_Minister of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from November_11, 1965 to June_1, 1979, when Rhodesia was ruled by its European minority.
He was born in Selukwe (now Shurugwi) and educated in Gwelo (now Gweru) and at Rhodes_University in South_Africa. He served with distinction in the Royal_Air_Force (RAF) at Pembrey during World_War_II, during which he lost an eye in battle. He returned home to finish his degree and then bought a farm in Selukwe. He became active in politics from 1948, first with the Southern_Rhodesia_Liberals, then the United_Federal_Party. In 1962 he was one of the founders of the Rhodesian_Front (RF).
The RF won a slim majority in the 1962 elections and formed a government. In April 1964 Smith was appointed leader of the Rhodesian Front, replacing Winston_Field, as Premier of Southern_Rhodesia.
Smith was staunchly opposed to Britain's insistence (see NIBMAR) that he prepare to quickly transfer political control of the colony to the African majority, at one point stating that there would be no plans to bring Rhodesia under black majority rule in his lifetime, and he later added, "or [his] children's." (though Smith maintained in his memoirs that he was referring to the Majority Rule disasters in other African countries such as Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria).
Smith had always maintained that there was no constitutional inhibitor to Africans entering the political process; some racially-based constitutional barriers did in fact exist, but these were later partially justified by the Rhodesian government as preventative measures against Terrorism. This was also argued on the basis that virtually all of the newly independent African states at that time had descended into chaos and one-party rule. Smith claimed he was determined to avoid the same fate for Rhodesia until "the African populace were fully prepared", and this argument served as an important basis behind his white minority government.
Image:Udi-rho.jpg
After several years of fruitless negociation with the British Government —who were being pressured by the OAU and the African members of the Commonwealth to force a quick solution to Rhodesia on their terms— Smith and his cabinet issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence on November_11, 1965. The British colony of Southern Rhodesia thus became a sovereign state, a move Smith believed would finally free the nation from Britain's constant meddling. This however, brought widespread international condemnation including the first Economic_sanctions in the history of the United Nations, led by Britain and the OAU, and even the European-dominated government in South_Africa, although sympathetic and privately supportive, was anxious to avoid sharing in the international condemnation of Rhodesia and did not officially recognise the new state. In 1974, B.J._Vorster, the Prime Minister of South_Africa, began the process of arm-twisting Smith to accept in principle that European minority rule could not continue indefinitely, as part of Vorster's foreign policy with the rest of Africa. Vorster was persuing detente with the African states, who had promised Vorster that they would tolerate white rule in South Africa if he would help bring Rhodesia to heel.
In 1976, US Secretary of State Henry_Kissinger formulated what came to be known as a six-step "Kissinger Plan" (or "Kissinger Initiative") with the concurrence of the British government and the participation of South Africa's Vorster. Kissinger flew to Southern Africa and met with Smith and Vorster in Pretoria. UK Prime Minister James_Callaghan declared that the plan "...offers a real hope of bringing peace." Smith accepted the plan with reluctance, explaining:
:''The proposals which were put to us do not represent what in our view would have been the best solution for the Rhodesian problem. Regretfully, however, we were not able to make our views prevail.... The American and British governments, together with major Western powers, have made up their minds as to the kind of solution they wish to see in Rhodesia, and they are determined to bring it about.'' http://www.alor.org/Volume12/Vol12No36.htm
Throughout the 25 year period 1965 - 1990, Ian Smith was given complete support in London by the Conservative_Monday_Club who organised pro-Rhodesia demonstrations outside number 10_Downing_Street several times during the late 1970s, and provided Smith with a platform at several receptions and major dinners. The Club had a Rhodesia sub-committee chaired by Tory M.P., Harold_Soref.
After South Africa ceased supporting Rhodesia economically (as well as Mozambique becoming independent under a Marxist regime), the numerous international Sanctions that had been imposed eventually proved too difficult for the new country to withstand, though Smith earned praise from his supporters for lasting as long as he did. In 1979 Smith agreed to hold multi-racial elections, with the proviso that members of the two main armed opposition groups, ZANU and ZAPU, could not participate. Following the elections, Rhodesia was re-named Zimbabwe_Rhodesia and Bishop Abel_Muzorewa was elected as the country's first African Prime Minister. Smith became a minister without portfolio in the new government. However, the civil war between the government and the Communist-backed ZANU and ZAPU factions continued unabated, and the British Government persuaded all parties to come to Lancaster House under Lord_Carrington in September 1979 to work out a lasting agreement.
Elections were held again in 1980, and despite being held under international supervision were widely condemned as having been fraudulent. Robert_Mugabe defeated Muzorewa, and Smith became Leader_of_the_Opposition, as leader of the newly re-named Republican_Front. In the years that followed, Smith's support among the white minority increasingly eroded. In the 1985 election, however, Smith managed to recapture 15 of the 20 parliamentary seats that were reserved for whites. Mugabe, angered and threatened by Smith's strong showing, moved to abolish the reserved seats two years later. Smith retired to his farm in Shurugwi, his political career of 39 years over.
Since his retirement, Smith has remained an outspoken critic of the Mugabe regime. Now in his eighties, Ian Smith has reentered the political fray by challenging Mugabe publicly. He has written an autobiography, ''The_Great_Betrayal'', which is as much an attack on the Mugabe regime as a memoir of his own that preceded it. Smith is also the author of ''Bitter_Harvest.'' Both books were critically acclaimed and gives an interesting insight to the political tug-of-war and duplicity shown by Great Britain.
Smith maintains that had South Africa not abandoned Rhodesia and Mozambique, what is now Zimbabwe would have been much better off, pointing to the fact that the country has turned into a basket case under the leadership of Robert_Mugabe.
==External links==
* Rhodesia: Mzilikaze to Smith (Africa Institute Bulletin, vol. 15, 1977)
* 24 Sept. 1976, BBC reports that Smith accepts majority rule
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title=Prime_Minister_of_Rhodesia|
years=1964–1979|
before=Winston_Joseph_Field|
after=Abel_Tendekayi_Muzorewa
(of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia)|
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Smith, Ian
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