domin ated ▁Southern ▁Rh odes ia ▁to ▁black ▁rule ▁in ▁Z imb ab we . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁supported ▁UN ▁resolution s ▁and ▁san ctions ▁that ▁proved ▁effective ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁Despite ▁human ▁rights ▁concerns , ▁Carter ▁continued ▁U . S . ▁support ▁for ▁Joseph ▁M ob ut u ▁of ▁Z aire , ▁who ▁defeated ▁Ang olan - back ed ▁ins urg ents ▁in ▁conflicts ▁known ▁as ▁Sh aba ▁I ▁and ▁Sh aba ▁II . ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁generally ▁agree ▁that ▁the ▁Carter ▁administration ' s ▁initi atives ▁in ▁Africa ▁were ▁largely ▁un success ful , ▁but ▁offer ▁multiple ▁explan ations ▁for ▁the ▁policy ▁fail ures . ▁The ▁orth odox ▁interpretation ▁pos its ▁Carter ▁as ▁a ▁dream y ▁star - ey ed ▁ideal ist . ▁Re vision ists ▁said ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁matter ▁nearly ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁the ▁inten se ▁rival ry ▁between ▁dov ish ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁C yrus ▁V ance ▁and ▁ha w k ish ▁National ▁Security ▁Ad vis er ▁Z b ign iew ▁Br ze zin ski . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁there ▁are ▁now ▁post - re vision ist ▁histor ians ▁who ▁bl ame ▁his ▁fail ures ▁on ▁his ▁confused ▁management ▁style ▁and ▁his ▁ref us al ▁to ▁make ▁t ough ▁dec isions . ▁Al ong ▁post - re vision ist ▁lines , ▁Nancy ▁Mitchell ▁in ▁a ▁monument al ▁book ▁dep ict s ▁Carter ▁as ▁a ▁decis ive ▁but ▁in effect ive ▁Cold ▁War rior , ▁who , ▁never theless ▁had ▁some ▁success es