 Two rival communist @-@ backed black nationalist groups initiated military campaigns to overthrow the government and introduce majority rule : the Chinese @-@ aligned Zimbabwe African National Union ( <unk> ) , mostly comprising <unk> , created the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army ( ZANLA ) and adopted aspects of <unk> doctrine , while the <unk> @-@ dominated Zimbabwe African People 's Union ( <unk> ) , aligned with Soviet @-@ style <unk> – <unk> and the Warsaw Pact , mobilised the Zimbabwe People 's Revolutionary Army ( <unk> ) . These guerrilla armies proceeded to wage what they called the " Second <unk> " against the Rhodesian government and security forces . The resulting conflict , the Rhodesian Bush War , began in earnest in December 1972 , when ZANLA attacked <unk> and <unk> <unk> in north @-@ eastern Rhodesia . 
