the United States recognizes Rhodesia

[NomadicSky]

What if the United States recognized the independence of Rhodesia in 1965?

 

[Max Sinister]

Who'd decide about that? If every nation has one voice, with all the independent African states around that's difficult.

 

[MerryPrankster]

Well, the white government of Rhodesia's ultimate collapse came as a result of the end of Portuguese colonialism in Africa--all the states on its borders (except South Africa) now provided support to Mugabe and Nkomo.

US trade and recognition (and possible aid, since M/N were aided by the Communist states) might help the Rhodesian situation out a bit, although with the civil rights movement, I would expect US policy towards Rhodesia to become just as much a political problem as US policy towards South Africa.

And the opinions of the independent African nations will not affect whether or not the US recognizes Rhodesian independence, although one wonders if the US would risk alienating Britain by doing so.

 

[S. Amir]

Probably the US would pressure the Rhodesians into political reform. Another POD would the US recognition of the 1979 moderate black government.

 

[Viriato]

The U.S. did not recognise Rhodesia because it did not want to alienate Britain as well as alienating its own black population. The Johnson administration was weary of getting too involved in Rhodesia. Also Wilson's Labour Government was very hostile to Rhodesia and was comitted to NIBMAR (No Independence Before Majority African Rule), and Rhodesia was not worth ruining the Atlantic Alliance over.

Tthe best chances for U.S. recognition were during the Nixon years. The Nixon administration however was much more friendly to Rhodesia, South Africa and Portugal. In 1971 the Byrd Amendment was passed in the senate that allowed Rhodesian chrome to be imported for strategic purposes (since the Soviet Union was the leading producer at the time). This was against UN imposed sanctions. Air Rhodesia was able to purchase 3 ex-Eastern Airlines Boeing 720 jets in a sanctions busting coup in 1973.

Here are some excerpts from a January 2, 1973 memorandum from the U.S. state department, that illustrate the administration's policy towards southern Africa.

"we made it clear to Africans that we could not afford unlimited economic assistance and that we could neither back the armed liberation of southern Africa nor support measures designed to isolate Portugal or South Africa"

Prior to 1974 Rhodesia was in a strong position. The liberation movements had not made any significant headway and had only made a few raids on the Kariba Dam area. The economy managed to grow and the country attracted 60,000 white immigrants. The Rhodesian Dollar was worth around $1.30 USD and the country was relatively stable. Up until then it seemed that the status quo would live on until the west gave in and just recognised Rhodesia as a fait accompli. However, once Portugal left Mozambique in 1975, Rhodesia was essentially cut off. It's major trade outlets (Beira and Lourenço Marques) were shut off and ZANU had a new front from which to launch an offensive. This in turn led to the west and South Africa pressuring Ian Smith to negotiate a settlement after 1976.