The Country the World Refused to Recognize | History of Rhodesia

Indexé : 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Before Zimbabwe existed, this land was called Rhodesia.

[00:00:05]Named after British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, Rhodesia was a British-controlled territory in Southern Africa.

[00:00:13]In 1965, the white minority government led by Ian Smith declared independence from Britain without permission.

[00:00:21]This was called the UDI, Unilateral Declaration of Independence.

[00:00:26]But there was one huge problem.

[00:00:29]Most black Africans in Rhodesia had little political power.

[00:00:33]Because of this, the United Nations imposed sanctions, and most countries refused to recognize Rhodesia as a real nation.

[00:00:41]Soon, a violent guerrilla war began between the government and African nationalist groups.

[00:00:47]After years of conflict and international pressure, Rhodesia finally ended in 1980 and became modern-day Zimbabwe.

[00:00:56]A country once on the map had disappeared forever.

[00:01:00]And that's the controversial story of Rhodesia, the nation the world refused to accept.