Rhodesian Bush War
SecondChimurenga
Zimbabwe War of Liberation
Part of the Decolonisation of Africa and the Cold War
RhodesiaAllies1975.png
The geopolitical situation after the independence of Angola and Mozambique in 1975.
  Rhodesia
  South Africa and South West Africa
  States giving governmental support to the guerrillas
Date4 July 1964 – 12 December 1979
(15 years, 5 months, 1 week and 1 day)
Location
    • Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
    • Zambia
    • Mozambique
    • Botswana
Result

Lancaster House Agreement

  • End to armed hostilities
  • Free elections with ZANU and ZAPU participation
  • Formation of Zimbabwe
Territorial
changes
Zimbabwe gains internationally recognised independence
Belligerents
 Southern Rhodesia
(1964–1965)
 Rhodesia
(1965–1979)
 Zimbabwe Rhodesia
(1979)
 South Africa
Supported by:
  •  Israel(after 1967)
  • PortugalPortugal(until 1974)

FROLIZI (1978–1979)
ZANU (ZANLA)
MozambiqueFRELIMO
Support for ZANU:
  •  China(until 1976)
  • EthiopiaEthiopia(from 1975)
  • LibyaLibya
  • North KoreaNorth Korea
  •  Tanzania
  •  Yugoslavia
  • SwedenSweden

ZAPU (ZIPRA)
ANC (MK)
Support for ZAPU:
  •  Bulgaria
  •  Cuba
  •  East Germany
  •  Romania
  •  Soviet Union
  •  Yugoslavia
  •  Zambia

FROLIZI (1971–1978)
Commanders and leaders
RhodesiaIan Smith
RhodesiaP. K. van der Byl
RhodesiaPeter Walls
RhodesiaMick McLaren
RhodesiaFrank Mussell
RhodesiaRonald Reid-Daly
RhodesiaKen Flower
Zimbabwe RhodesiaAbel Muzorewa
Zimbabwe RhodesiaNdabaningi Sithole
Zimbabwe RhodesiaJames Chikerema
South AfricaHendrik Verwoerd
South AfricaJohn Vorster
South AfricaP. W. Botha
Robert Mugabe
Herbert Chitepo 
Josiah Tongogara
Ndabaningi Sithole
Edgar Tekere
Solomon Mujuru
MozambiqueSamora Machel
Joshua Nkomo
James Chikerema
Jason Moyo 
Lookout Masuku
Dumiso Dabengwa
Oliver Tambo
Joe Slovo
Nelson Mandela
Strength
Rhodesia1979:
10,800 regulars
15,000 reservists
8,000 police
19,000 police reservists
South Africa1973:
2,000–5,000 troops
Flag of ZANU-PF.svg 1979:
25,500 guerrillas
Zimbabwe African People's Union flag.svg 1979:
20,000 guerrillas
Casualties and losses
1,120 Rhodesian security forces members killed10,000+ guerrillas killed
Around 20,000 people killed overall