Key moments in the troubled history of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe votes in a historic election that is the first without Robert Mugabe.

He had led the nation of southern Africa since the independence of the white minority rule in 1980, but resigned last year under military pressure in the midst of a quarrel of the party in power.

Here is an overview of the milestones of the troubled history of the country.

Robert Mugabe (PA)

– March 4, 1980: Robert Mugabe wins the post of prime minister in the first independent elections in Zimbabwe.

– 1982: A deadly military offensive of several years begins in the Matabeleland against supporters of the former ally of Mr. Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, with thousands of civilians killed.

– 1987: Mr. Mugabe becomes president after changes to the constitution.

Zimbabwe's economy is in trouble (Jerome Delay / AP)

– 1998: The once prosperous economy of Zimbabwe sinks into a crisis of which it has never recovered.

– 2000: Mugabe launches a very unpopular campaign to confiscate land from white farmers, leading to international condemnation. The MDC opposition party is gaining momentum.

– 2002: Mr. Mugabe is re-elected, with foreign observers calling the vote very flawed. The European Union imposes sanctions.

– 2003: The United States imposes sanctions for "undermining democratic institutions or processes".

– 2005: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice considers Zimbabwe to be one of six "outposts of tyranny" in the world .

Morgan Tsvangirai (Matthew Fearn / PA)

– 2008: MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims victory in the first round of elections, but boycots the second round vote as violence against his supporters increases. Mugabe is declared the winner. The two are engaging in a fragile power-sharing agreement under which Tsvangirai will become prime minister.

– 2013: A new constitution that strengthens human rights is approved in a referendum amid skepticism that Mugabe will loosen his grip on the country. He won another term a few months later while the MDC claims that the election was fraudulent.

Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace at their residence in Harare (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / AP)

– 2016: Influential veterans of the liberation war are turning to Mr. Mugabe after years of acting as his forces of order. Social media is fueling major anti-government protests. The profile of First Lady Grace Mugabe continues to increase with a younger generation in the ruling party called the G40, while some say that she has no experience to succeed her husband, who is now in his nineties.

– August 2017: Ms. Mugabe is accused of badaulting a young woman in an upscale hotel in neighboring South Africa but enjoys diplomatic immunity .

Emmerson Mnangagwa (Jerome Delay / AP)

– November 2017: Mugabe draws his deputy and longtime ally Emmerson Mnangagwa after a campaign against him by the first lady. Mr. Mnangagwa is fleeing the country. The army settles in the capital and places Mr. Mugabe under house arrest. Tens of thousands of people gather in the capital for Mugabe to resign. The support of the ruling party is crumbling.

– November 21, 2017: Politicians begin an impeachment proceeding and Mr. Mugabe resigns after 37 years of power.

– November 24, 2017: Mr. Mnangagwa, 75 years old, is inaugurated, urging Zimbabwe to leave "old times past".

Nelson Chamisa (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / AP)

– February 14: Leader of the Opposition Mr. Tsvangirai dies, bringing many MDC supporters to rally around Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and pastor, presidential candidate .

– June 23: The EU deploys its first election observers to Zimbabwe in 16 years, Mr Mnangagwa pledging to hold free and fair elections while seeking to lift international sanctions – including US sanctions.