Zambezi War

The Zambezi War (part of a larger conflict 'Mittelafrikan Civil War') was one of the deadliest and most brutal conflicts in the late 70's and early 80's. The War is also known as the **Rhodesian-Zambian War**, or in Rhodesia as **Liberation of Zambia** and in Zambia as **Zambian Independence War**.

## Background.

After the German victory in the Weltkrieg, most of the former Entente colonies in Africa came under domination of the Central Powers. The German Weltreich had the strongest economic and cultural domination in the region. From 1920 to 1965, thousands of German immigrants settled in the territory known as Rhodesia. But many thousands more migrated into Rhodesia from Socialist Union of Great Britain, French Third Republic and the United States Of America as political refugees following the syndicalist revolutions in the west.

Rhodesia was heavily Germanized with a demographic of thousands of 'German Rhodesians', but majority of the white demographic in Rhodesia was predominantly Anglophone.

In the 1950s, wealthy miners in South Africa proposed the creation of an independent apartheid 'Südafrican Federation'. In 1955 the German Weltreich accepted the proposal.

Ten years later in 1965 the white minority in Rhodeisa declared its own independence on 11th of November. The First Prime-Minister of the Republic of Rhodesia was Desmond Lardner-Burke.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, African revolutionary and patriotic anti-colonial movements waved all across the continent.

In 1970, P.K. van der Byl came into power as the PM. A year later in December 1971, P.K. van der Byl was assassinated by Zimbabwean Z.A.N.U. rebels in Salisbury.

After Ian Smith came to power in February 1972, Rhodesian military budget grew with 110%, due to trade with mercenaries in the Congo and Portugal. Troops were sent into Mozambique to the lake Cahora in order to resist FRELIMO and MPLA forces.

In the summer of 1972, the 'Republic of Zambezi' was established after declaring independence from the German Weltreich. Up until 1975, the Republic of Zambezi was an unstable provisional government, that was in a constant conflict with pro-apartheid forces led by Mitteleuropan miners and investors. There were also a strong group of pro-Soviet forces that got logistical support from Syndicalist America and the U.S.S.R.

In 1975, the 'Zambian National Liberation Front' couped Lusaka and formed the Provisional Zambian Revolutionary State.

The Rhodesian government had invested into the Zambezi economy, being damaged by the revolution. Rhodesia was preparing for war to start in June 1976, but an incident happened in Christmas 1975; in the town of Mukumbura, ZANU rebels had forcefully siezed power. It was speculated that the ZANU rebels got material support from Zambia.

On 9th of January, the Rhodesian army crossed the Zambezi, and officially declared war on the Zambian Revolutionary State.

## Operation of war

### Rhodesia

As of 9 February 1976, Rhodesia had placed 8 divisions on the northern border. Each division consisted of about 30 thousand troops, as of 9 February 1976 in total 70 thousand troops.

(30% of Rhodesia's male population, 255 thousand, is Fit-for-Service.

In June 1982, the Rhodesian Military had reached its height in quantity, consisting of 200 thousand Rhodesian troops, 50 thousand collaborationists, 10 thousand Security Forces and 70 thousand foreign mercenaries.

In total, as of June 1982, the Rhodesian armed forces consisted of 330 thousand troops, with much greater quality of training, resources and weaponry.)

#### COMMANDERSHIP -

The Commanders of the Operation of War:

- Field Marshal George Peter Walls

- Field Marshal Georg Meiring

Commanders of the air force:

- Air Marshal Mick McLaren

- Air Marhsal Frank Mussell

Commanders of the land forces:

- General Ronald Reid-Daly

- General Johannes Geldenhuys

Commander of the Sudafrikan volunteer army:

- Constand Viljoen

Mercenary Commanders:

- Rolf Steiner (Mitteleuropa)

- John Alan Coey (A.U.S.)

- Bob Denard (French emigre)

- Simon Mann (British emigre)

- Anton Tus (Croatia)

### Zambia

As of 9 February, Zambia had placed 8 divisions on the southern border. Each division consisted of about 50 thousand troops, as of 9 February 1976 in total 400 thousand troops.

(35% of Zambia's male population, 1.4 million (1 487 500), is Fit-for-Service. Unlike Rhodesia, Zambia had a greater amount of females in the Zambian Red Army, due to the revolutionary tradition. About 5% of the Zambian female population (212 500).

As of June 1982, the Zambian Red Army had reached its height in quantity, consisting of 1 million troops. The rest 600 thousand Fit-for-Service males were either peasants or engaged in partisan activity along with their families. 10 Thousand of international forces have arrived on behalf of Zambia. About 50 thousand active ZANU rebels are fighting guerrilla warfare in the territory of Rhodesia.

In total, as of June 1982, the Zambian Red Army consisted of 1.66 million troops and allies.

## Aftermath

After a long and devastating war in Zambia and civil war in Rhodeisa, the Zambian Revolutionary government had fled from Ndola into neighboring Katanga and Congo.

During the war, 4,7 million tons of bombs and 250 thousand tons of napalm were used in the war. More than 5 million gallons of various herbicides (chemical weapons) were used as well.

In total, 1 662 500 people died during the war. (1976-1983)

In the post-war years 30 thousand political dissidents and guerrillas were either executed by the new Apartheid regime or died in partisan camps. Due to the massive destruction of agriculture during the war, Zambia went through a food crisis, eventually 100 thousand people dying.

On 15 March, the war had officially ended. From 16 March to 25 April a Rhodesian Military Provisional Government was created under the administration of Fied Marshal Peter Walls in Adshead (renamed Lusaka after British architect Stanley Adshead).

During the 20 - 25 April Zambezi elections, Rhodesian Field Marshal and veteran of the war Peter Walls was elected by the new Apartheid senate in Adshead.

Ever since 1972, the white minority in Zambezi of 70 thousand people struggled for power. During the Zambian revolution in 1975, tens of thousands of them fled the country into Rhodesia. During the Zambezi war, many 'Zambezian' legions were formed.

On 26 April 1983 the Apartheid state of 'Republic of Zambezi' was created. The government consisted of white Zambezian businessmen and war veterans. On the western frontiers of Zambezi, "Zambian homelands" were created for the black population in the same style as Sudafrika and Rhodesia.

For the next 10 years (1983-1993) Apartheid Zambezi saw no war, until again in the summer of 1993, when the Second Weltkrieg began worldwide, including southern Africa. From 1993 to 1998 the International forces of Congo, Katanga and Malawi destroyed the Apartheid Regime in Zambezi. The Second Weltkrieg ended in 1999.

Rhodesia's and Sudafrika's Apartheid regimes survived the Weltkrieg due to the earlier victory in the Zambezi war (1976-1983). An Apartheid Zambezi worked as a buffer and a barrier between Rhodesia and Katanga, guaranteeing Rhodesia's survival to the 21st century.

## CASUALTIES

### RHODESIA

#### Combatants -

75 000 Rhodesian armed forces.

30 000 Rhodesian foreign mercenaries.

3 500 Rhodesian Security Forces

30 000 Zambian Collaborationist Forces

1 100 Sudafrikan volunteers

#### Civilians -

35 000 non-combatant White Rhodesians

3 400 non-combatant Botswanans

4 000 non-combatant Zimbabweans

Total Combatant casualties - 139 600

Total Civilian casualties - 42 400

Total Rhodesian casualties - 182 000 (120 900 Rhodesians)

(113 500 White Rhodesians, overall 13% of the White Rhodesian population, and 27% of the White Rhodesian male population had died in the war.)

### ZAMBIA

#### Combatants -

340 000 Zambian Red Army Forces

35 000 Zambian partisans

5 500 Foreign Troops and volunteers

#### Civilians -

~ 1 100 000 non-combatant Zambians

Total Combatant casualties - 380 500 (375 000 Zambians)

Total Civilian casualties - 1 100 000

Total Zambian casualties - 1 485 000 (1 469 500 Zambians, overall 17% of the population of Zambia, and 21.1% of the male population have died.)

### Total casualties

TOTAL COMBATANTS - 520 100

TOTAL CIVILIANS - 1 142 400

TOTAL CASUALTIES OF THE WAR - 1 662 500