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== Early life ==

== Early life ==

Ian Smith completed his early education in Gwelo and continued on to the Rhodes University in South Africa to study for a degree in commerce. When Wold War II broke out in Europe, Smith put aside his studies, and immediately volunteered for with the British Royal Air Force to fight against the evils of [[Nazism]]. In the RAF Smith served with No. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron.

'''Ian Douglas Smith''' was born in the small mining village Selukwe in 1919 roughly 310 kilometers away for the nations capital Salisbury. There were also his two elder sisters Phyllis and Joan. His father John Smith, originated from Scotland and immigrated in 1898 and his mother in 1906. John later became a successful horse rancher, Jock and his British-born spouse Agnes  met in 1907, when she was sixteen, a year after her family's emigration to Selukwe from Frizington, United Kingdom. Cumberland. After Mr Hodgson sent his wife and children back to Great Britain in 1908, John Smith arrived unannounced in Cumberland, United Kingdom to ask for Agnes's hand in marriage; they had not seen each other for three years. They later married in Frizington. From a young age expectations were high for young Ian, after he attended primary school he resided at boarding lodgings. After success in sport he was promoted to head prefect and captains in rugby, cricket, and tennis respectively. This allowed him to attend Rhodes university college in South Africa, due to the fact Rhodesia lacked its own college system, after injuring his knee he became stroke for the college's university rowing crew.

 

Smith was the co-founder of the party "Rhodesian Front" which spoke out for independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom. In 1969 the constitution of Rhodesia was proclaimed and in 1970 it became an official state, that was ruled by Smith until 1979. In his tenure he fought the Marxist opposition party "Zimbabwe African National Union", that was led by [[Robert Mugabe]], who created a [[Communist]] dictatorship, that discriminates white people and homosexuals after Smith´s resignation.  

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[[Category:Political Figures]]

[[Category:Political Figures]]

[[Category:Heads of State]]

[[Category:Heads of State]]