World War I in Africa



In Africa, Germany had 4 colonies - Togo, Kamerun, German Southwest-Africa and German East Africa. The governors of East Africa and of Kamerun declared the colonies neutral at the beginning of the war, referring to the Final Act of the Berlin Conference; this neutrality was not recognized by the Entente powers.
Togo fell quickly to the English and French (and later was partitioned). Southwest held out against the South African troops until 1915, Kamerun until 1916.
In East Africa (modern Tanzania), commander PAUL VON LETTOW-VORBECK was able to defend his colony until 1916; then, with enemy forces penetrating into the country, he switched to a guerilla strategy. With a small force of ASKARI soldiers (native recruits commanded by German officers) he tied up far superior numbers of enemy soldiers, which could not be deployed in the trenches of France. At times he crossed into Portuguese Mocambique or British North Rhodesia. Lettow-Vorbeck only laid down arms after Germany had requested an armistice.

Another trouble spot was the Sudanese sultanate of DARFUR. The Sultan of Darfur declared himself a subject of the Sultan in Constantinople and declared a Holy War on the British; Darfur was quickly occupied and incorporated into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.


War in the Colonies

Togo Kamerun German SW Africa German East Africa Darfur Nyasaland




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This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on November 16th 2004

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