Come up with a scenario in which Mugabe never came to power and Rhodesia never became Zimbabwe and describe how history would be different.
I dunno, some burglars come in and whack him in the 80s while he’s taking a shit? The better question is, if no Mugabe, do the British stick around or does someone even worse take his place?
Have the South African 1981 bombing be more successful, killing off Mugabe and other ZANU-PF party leaders. This cripples the guerrillas but Ian Smith's regime was already weakening at this time, although I can't claim to know much on the topic of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Fantasizing about white supremacists killing a man trying to fight against it? WTF??I rather like the idea of Rhodesian Air Force Spitfires or Vampires lobbing a couple of 3 inch rockets through his windows on one of their jolly COIN ops outings.
This fictional Spitfire PR19 would have done the recce work...
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While I have no love for Rhodesia, the OP - as well as those who have seen these TL - has the benefit of hindsight of what Mugabe has done in Zimbabwe and that might be the desire as to why some might wanna see Mugabe die earlier.Fantasizing about white supremacists killing a man trying to fight against it? WTF??
Mugabe wasn't the best but at the end of the day he was fighting something far, far worse.
The Rhodesians were pathetic and vile racists trying to maitain the racist colonial order that treated blacks as second class citizens. I can't help but feel that people with fantasies like yours tend to sympathise with these racist pigs
You also thave the benefit of hindsight to know that Rhodesia was a racist shithole far worse for balck Zimbaweans who constituite more than 95% of the population.While I have no love for Rhodesia, the OP - as well as those who have seen these TL - has the benefit of hindsight of what Mugabe has done in Zimbabwe and that might be the desire as to why some might wanna see Mugabe die earlier.
I'm fully aware of what the Rhodesian government did and about the ZANU-PF as well, I'm simply providing a reason in which someone may want to see Mugabe dead earlier.You also thave the benefit of hindsight to know that Rhodesia was a racist shithole far worse for balck Zimbaweans who constituite more than 95% of the population.
Mugabe didn't start off "bad". As an activist before the Civil war he was hardly any different from Mandela, he was an inspiration to the majority of blacks and was imprisoned and tortured for speaking his mind. Had the Rhodesians decided to not supress the rights of blacks and had instead tried to achieve a proper comprimise that would have ensured that the black majority could rule, then we would have a very different Zimbabwe. Instead they were willing to fight a civil war to protect white supremacy instead of realising the writing on the wall(which even the racist government in South Africa was able to see)
Saying Stalin(Mugabe) is bad does not make the Nazi's(Rhodesians) good.
Yeah, my mistake - just have Mugabe die during imprisonment in the early 60s, alongside other senior officials of the ZANU.Are you sure you've got the date right there? Mugabe was in power by 1980.
The problem with that is that it will make him a martyr, which might actaully lead to people seeking revenge earlier than in OTL. The reason that Zimababwe turned out differently from SA is because of the exisistence of the civil war and various military groups. This affected politics and leadership style. Anyone who replaces Mugabe will be subject to these same factors. Its hard to imagine a Gukurhundi had there been a peaceful transition.I'm fully aware of what the Rhodesian government did and about the ZANU-PF as well, I'm simply providing a reason in which someone may want to see Mugabe dead earlier.
What could this look like? How could this affect Rhodesia?The only way to get a more peaceful Zimababwe without Mugabe would be for the British invade Rhodesia in the 60's, hang Ian Smith and the other white rebels and force a transition to majority rule.
Firstly Mugabe's political career would never take off without his political activism. Perhaps he remains a respected nationalist academic.What could this look like? How could this affect Rhodesia?
The problem with that is that it will make him a martyr, which might actaully lead to people seeking revenge earlier than in OTL. The reason that Zimababwe turned out differently from SA is because of the exisistence of the civil war and various military groups. This affected politics and leadership style. Anyone who replaces Mugabe will be subject to these same factors. Its hard to imagine a Gukurhundi had there been a peaceful transition.
The only way to get a more peaceful Zimababwe without Mugabe would be for the British invade Rhodesia in the 60's, hang Ian Smith and the other white rebels and force a transition to majority rule.