Person

Ian Smith

1919–2007 · 20th century

Ian Smith was a Rhodesian Front politician who became prime minister of Southern Rhodesia in 1964. On 11 November 1965 his government issued the Unilateral Declaration of Independence to avoid majority rule, creating the unrecognised state of Rhodesia. After a long guerrilla war he agreed the Internal Settlement of 1978, which produced Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

Ian Smith
Image: Colin Weyer, photographer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Southern RhodesiaRhodesiaZimbabwe Rhodesia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ian Smith. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ian-smith
MLA
“Ian Smith.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ian-smith. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ian Smith.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ian-smith.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ian Smith’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ian-smith (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻