Final answer:
The fighting principles of Zimbabweans were based on the aspiration for majority rule, opposing the white minority's unilateral declaration of independence. Zimbabwe's historical societies like Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe, characterized by hierarchical structures, could have provided cultural impetus, although the immediate struggle focused on achieving democratic independence, leading to the country's official recognition in 1980.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principles upon which the Zimbabweans based their fighting during the period leading up to their independence in 1980 were rooted in the desire for majority rule and an end to white minority rule. Nationalist parties such as the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) were instrumental in the liberation struggle, each supported by different foreign powers such as the Soviet Union and China, respectively. The armed conflict, known as the Rhodesian Bush War, comprised guerilla warfare tactics aimed at dismantling the white-led government and achieving democratic independence for black Zimbabweans from British colonial rule. This struggle culminated in the Lancaster House Agreement, leading to the establishment of Zimbabwe as an independent nation with Robert Mugabe as its prime minister.
Historically, Zimbabwean societies such as the Kingdom of Mapungubwe and primarily the Great Zimbabwe had developed complex hierarchical structures, based on wealth and cattle possession, possibly influencing the resolve and organizational attributes of the modern liberation movements. However, the immediate resistance during the 1960s and 1970s was largely a reaction against the unilateral declaration of independence by the white minority government led by Ian Smith in 1965, designed to perpetuate white supremacy in the face of overwhelming African calls for self-determination.