The Rhodesian mission in Lisbon operated from September 1965 to May 1975. It was a diplomatic mission representing Rhodesia, initially as a self-governing colony of Britain and, after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965, as an unrecognised state. Rhodesia informed Britain of its intent to open a Lisbon mission headed by an accredited representative, independent from the British Embassy in the city, in June 1965. On 11 November 1965 Rhodesia went one further and unilaterally declared its independence from Britain.
About Rhodesian mission in Lisbon in brief
The Rhodesian mission in Lisbon operated from September 1965 to May 1975. It was a diplomatic mission representing Rhodesia, initially as a self-governing colony of Britain and, after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965, as an unrecognised state. Rhodesia informed Britain of its intent to open a Lisbon mission headed by an accredited representative, independent from the British Embassy in the city, in June 1965. Whitehall refused to endorse the idea but Rhodesia continued nonetheless, and later that month appointed Harry Reedman to head the mission. The British government attempted unsuccessfully to block this unilateral act—Rhodesia’s first—for some months afterwards. The affair came amid the larger dispute between Whitehall and Salisbury regarding the terms under which Rhodesia could be granted sovereign independence. On 11 November 1965 Rhodesia went one further and unilaterally declared its independence from Britain. The mission in Portugal operated until 1975, when it was closed following the Carnation Revolution in Portugal the previous year. The Rhodesian government’s stance on this matter caused it to become isolated within the Commonwealth, which from 1964 excluded it from most of its internal bodies. The Southern Rhodesian capital, Salisbury, was henceforth empowered to run its own affairs in almost all matters, including defence. Foreign affairs was one of the few areas reserved by the British government. Southern Rhodesia was considered a sui generis case, almost on a par with a dominion. As most of the Rhodesian politicians saw it as good as independent; if full autonomy were granted in the form of foreigndom, the only practical difference would be a rise in expenses for Salisbury to maintain its own embassies abroad.
The most developed of the most non-independent territories at the time was the Federal Federation, which began later that year with the results of the 1953 Mandated referendum. The Federal Federation was granted several semi-independent semi-majorities, including Rhodesia and Nyasaland, with the directly administered Northern Rhodesian Federation with the Cape of Good Hope and Nyaland. It also included South Africa and Mozambique, territories to the west and east of Rhodesia. The colony was granted responsible government by Whitehall in 1923, but ultimate responsibility for foreign affairs remained with Britain. In 1932, Imperial Conferences included the Southern. Rhodesian Prime Minister alongside those from the dominions, a unique situation which continued after Imperial. Conferences were superseded by Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conferences in 1944. In 1953, the most developed territories at its head, Salisbury, doubled as its head of state, and was granted non-independent non-majority status by the Mandated Federal Federation. It began that year that Salisbury doubled as the head of three territories, with Rhodesia being granted several non-millionaire privileges by the Federation, including the right to build a new airport, a railway line, and to take part in the London Olympics. In the 1960s, Rhodesia’s opposition to immediate black rule and its disillusionment regarding Britain propelled it towards Portugal, which governed Angola and Mozambique.
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