A History Of Rhodesia Robert Blake Pdf [best] Access
Robert Blake’s A History of Rhodesia (1977) remains one of the most comprehensive single-volume political histories of the territory that became Zimbabwe. Written during the twilight of UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence) and the ensuing bush war, Blake—a British constitutional historian—offers a narrative centered on settler politics, Crown-colonial relations, and the personality of Cecil John Rhodes. This paper critically examines Blake’s periodization, his treatment of African agency, and the book’s utility for understanding Rhodesia’s collapse. While indispensable for diplomatic and constitutional history, Blake’s work reflects the limitations of a “metrocentric” archive, largely silent on African nationalist strategies and rural insurgency.
Robert Blake’s A History of Rhodesia was published in 1977 by Eyre Methuen, at a moment when the self-declared state of Rhodesia was internationally isolated and fighting a losing counter-insurgency against ZANU and ZAPU forces. Blake, later Lord Blake, was a British historian known for works on Disraeli and the Conservative Party. His Rhodesia study was commissioned with access to private papers of the Rhodesian Front and British officials, yet it conspicuously lacks oral testimony or African-language sources. This draft paper argues that while Blake provides an unmatched narrative of white political infighting, his history inadvertently demonstrates why settler colonialism failed: its myopic focus on European interests blinded it to the demographic and moral inevitability of majority rule.
Blake details the period of rule by Cecil Rhodes’ British South Africa Company. Self-Governing Colony and Federation: A History Of Rhodesia Robert Blake Pdf
| Theme | Blake (1977) | Later scholarship (e.g., Ranger, 1985; Scarnecchia, 2008) | |-------|--------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 1896–97 War | “Mashona rebellion” | First Chimurenga as proto-nationalist | | UDI | Constitutional crisis | Illegitimate racial regime | | Nationalism | Mentioned via Nkomo and Sithole | Analyzed through internal ZANU/ZAPU splits and Dare reChimurenga | | Economic sanctions | Effective but slow | Shown to have fostered an extensive smuggling economy (South Africa, Portugal) |
If you find a scanned PDF of the original 1977 hardcover (green dust jacket, gold lettering), cross-reference the pagination with a known library index to ensure authenticity. Robert Blake’s A History of Rhodesia (1977) remains
As an AI, I cannot provide direct PDF files. The book is out of print but available in academic libraries, via interlibrary loan, or for purchase second-hand. Some scanned copies may exist on academic repositories (e.g., Internet Archive, HathiTrust) where copyright allows. Check your university’s digital library access.
For those searching for the to read the text, they will find a narrative that spans from the pre-colonial era through to the late 1970s. The book is divided into distinct phases, offering a granular look at the territory's evolution. His Rhodesia study was commissioned with access to
or physical copy, you can find it through academic platforms like Internet Archive , or major retailers such as of this paper, such as the role of Cecil Rhodes A History of Rhodesia - Robert Blake - Google Books
To appreciate the book, one must first understand the author. Robert Blake (1916–2003) was a distinguished British historian and academic, often regarded as one of the pre-eminent authorities on British imperial history and the Conservative Party. His position as Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford, lent him an air of rigorous academic detachment.