This academic book looks at the conflicts involving Rhodesia, South
Africa and Portugal in conflict with the so-called Frontline states.
From the 1960s through 1970s there were a series of conflicts in Africa
involving Rhodesia, South Africa, and Portugal in conflict with the
so-called Frontline States. There was an international element with the
Cold War and saw American interest at the diplomatic, economic, and
social level. In the post-Vietnam period there was participation by
individual American soldiers and politicians. Most of what has been
published to date about this conflict has been fashionable journalism,
narrow unit histories, or personal accounts that lack balance or
insights beyond the level of experience. In part, this is because
Rhodesian senior leaders did not leave memoirs or analysis and because
there was a belief that the Rhodesian diplomatic and political situation
was too unique to learn from.
This work, drawing on a wealth of primary sources, examines the
transition of the Rhodesian armed services from a general-purpose force
to a special operations force conducting intelligence-driven operations,
and identifies the lessons that can be learned from the study of this
low-intensity conflict at the level of ''tactics, techniques, and
procedures." Charles Melson offers a detailed examination of the
military response to the emerging revolutionary threat, and the
evolution of general and special-purpose units. He addresses the
critical use of airpower as a force multiplier supporting civil, police,
and army efforts ranging from internal security and border control to
internal and external combat operations; the requirement for innovative
units and full-time joint command structures; and the escalation of
cross-border attacks and unconventional responses as the conflict
evolved.
