The Great Betrayal: The Memoirs of Ian Douglas Smith / Bitter Harvest
Ian Douglas Smith
Language: English
Pages: 426
ISBN: 2:00134553
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Ian Smith, former president of Rhodesia, spares few of his opponents as he gives a forthright account of one of Africa's most controversial political careers. Smith details his boyhood in Southern Rhodesia, his enlistment into the Royal Air Force and his active service during World War II. After the war, he joined the United Federal Party and initiated moves with various British Governments under Macmillian and Douglas-Home. This resulted in the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, and then Britain led the world in adopting sanctions against Rhodesia. He also tells how the British Government's poor handling of the Rhodesian situation led to unrest in the area which Henry Kissinger tried unsuccessfully to quell. Eventually the first majority elections were held, the results of which Margaret Thatcher refused to recognise, leading to the Marxist-orientated rule of President Mugabe. This autobiography deals with many political events that have been conveniently glossed over. It presents a fascinating portrait of one of the 20th century's most distinguished political figures.
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that well-known saying: ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of Freedom’. He assured me that he would convey the ‘wisdom of my words’ to his Prime Minister, but he believed that there were two important new factors which would ensure the success of this initiative. First, the countries to our north, especially Zambia, were desperate for a settlement which would bring peace and thus an end to the fighting. Second, South Africa would now be participating as an honest broker and a witness to any
of assistance from South Africa and Portugal. With the collapse of Mozambique, only South Africa remained. We had been getting along fine in that situation, but the changing circumstances were worrying. It had been made clear to me by Vorster on more than one occasion that, while trans-border raids to deal with the terrorist bases were perfectly in order, any deep penetration involving more than transitory occupation was tantamount to invasion, and therefore unacceptable. So that was the clear
Independence Before Majority Rule – was set in stone. The last hope of securing an independent, internationally recognised white Rhodesia had disappeared. For a while life went on as before. But in the mid-1970s two events sealed the fate of the Smith regime. The first was America’s new concern, after Cuba’s forays into Angola, that southern Africa might fall into the Soviet sphere of influence. This brought Smith face-to-face with global geopolitics and the diplomatic might of the US,
Mugabe would have been mindful of Mandela’s profound comment at the recent OAU heads of state meeting, at which Mugabe was present: ‘We surely must face the matter squarely that where there is something wrong in the manner in which we govern ourselves, it must be said that the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are ill-governed.’ How refreshing to find a leader in this modern world who had the courage to speak the truth, no matter how unpalatable it might be. A recent article
by-election which followed shortly in a constituency known to be right of centre. Our candidate’s opponent, the representative of the dissidents at our congress and other extreme right-wingers, was so thoroughly thrashed that he forfeited his election deposit. Speculation was growing over renewed talks, and there had been reports in the media about the visit of Max Aitken and Lord Goodman, followed by the Bottomley visit. As to how Wilson explained these visits away to his Governor, Gibbs,