ABSTRACT
The victories of the armed liberation movements in the former Portuguese colonies of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique during 1974-1975 had a discernible impact on liberation struggles elsewhere in Southern Africa and particularly on the struggle in Zimbabwe. The problem of Zimbabwe was central to the diplomatic efforts toward regional detente begun after April 1974. South Africa had always been a major trading partner for Rhodesia, but Rhodesian dependence on South Africa became heavier after the 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence. The collapse of Portuguese rule and the escalation of the Zimbabwean armed struggle immediately and dramatically brought the Zimbabwe question to the foreground of the overall Southern African crisis. The collapse of the August 1975 Victoria Falls conference led to the emergence of two nationalist organizations, each claiming the name African National Council. The Patriotic Front rejected any political settlement that left effective veto power in white hands.
