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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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Down to the Last Cartridge
At Government House in Salisbury, a new regime took power led by the intransigent Defence Minister, Pieter Kenyon Fleming-Voltelyn van der Byl (pictured). Promoted to the cabinet in 1968, Van der Byl became a spokesman for the Rhodesian government and crafted a public image as a diehard supporter of continued White minority rule. In 1974 he was made Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence at a time when Rhodesia's one ally, South Africa, was supplying military aid. His extreme views and brusque manner made him a surprising choice for a diplomat (a Times profile in November 1976 described him as a man calculated to give offence). Accompanied by commander of the Selous Scouts Colonel Reid-Daly and the professional head of the Rhodesian Army General Peter Walls, van der Byl made a typically belligerent statement to world press ~ " it is better to fight to the last man and the last cartridge and die with some honour. Because, what is being presented to us here [at the Lusaka Conference] is a degree of humiliation ..". 1
Footnotes - In this scenario, we explore the possibility that extremists in the Rhodesian government carry out their threats before the event of black majority rule for zimbabwe. 1) The quotation is sourced from The Past is Another Country, Martin Meredith, p291
Steve Payne, Editor Today in Alternate History, a Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today. Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items explore that possibility. Possibilities such as America becoming a Marxist superpower, aliens influencing human history in the 18th century and Teddy Roosevelt winning his 3rd term as president abound in this interesting fictional blog.
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In 1979, white man's
black Prime Minister Bishop Abel Muzorewa fled Zimbabwe-Rhodesia just
twenty-four hours after the British delegatation quit the Lusaka Conference.