ABSTRACT
The transition to independence in West Africa was made relatively straightforward by the economic prosperity of most of the territories involved. No communities of White settlers complicated the process. British politicians and officials believed that such unions could offer considerable economic and other advantages, but they proved politically unacceptable. Rhodesia was to prove the most intractable of all the problems Britain experienced during the period of decolonization. Decolonization continued outside Africa. Malaya, Guyana and Fiji were among the territories to become independent. Only Gibraltar remained in British hands, though the Spanish government considered it a colonial anachronism. A Commonwealth of a kind survived these rapid changes. The tensions brought about by the 1956 Suez Crisis dissolved surprisingly quickly. The Rhodesian issue then moved to the forefront of Commonwealth discussions. The Nigerian Civil War diminished the impact of African criticism of British policy towards Rhodesia. It is not surprising that in these circumstances scepticism about the value of the Commonwealth increased.
