Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Eighties Begin (1980)

(1980) Dry Bones cartoon: Afghanistan Iran Russia red army Rhodesia Zimbabwe.
Today's "Golden Oldie" is from the start of the Eighties. I chose it because we are again at the start of a decade. Thirty years later.

The references to Iran and Afghanistan are interesting but I was stumped by the reference to "peace coming to a war-torn African state by setting up British colonial rule". So I had to do some research.

* * *
Turns out that the "war-torn African state" was the white minority-ruled Republic of Rhodesia which, on June 1, 1979, was replaced by the bi-racially ruled Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia. However, the Lancaster House Agreement of December 1979 then returned control of the country to the United Kingdom in preparation for elections to be held in the spring of 1980. Zimbabwe Rhodesia became, once again, the British colony of Southern Rhodesia.

Four months later in April of 1980, the British colony of Southern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zimbabwe.

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