East African campaign (World War I)

Quick Facts: Who was East African campaign (World War I)?

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East African campaign (World War I)

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A series of battles in East Africa during World War I, involving German colonial forces.

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Origins & Early Life

The East African campaign in World War I was a series of battles and guerrilla actions, which started in German East Africa (GEA) and spread to portions of Mozambique, Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign all but ended in German East Africa in November 1917 when the Germans entered Mozambique and continued the campaign living off Portuguese supplies. The strategy of the German colonial forces, led by Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, was to divert Allied forces from the Western Front to Africa. His strategy became less effective after 1917 when he was driven out of German East Africa. The campaign in Africa consumed considerable amounts of Allied money and war material that could have gone to other fronts.

Career & Major Achievements

The Germans in East Africa fought for the whole of the war, receiving word of the armistice on 14 November 1918 at 07:30 hours. Both sides waited for confirmation, with the Germans formally surrendering on 25 November. GEA became two League of Nations Class B Mandates, Tanganyika Territory of the United Kingdom and Ruanda-Urundi of Belgium, while the Kionga Triangle was ceded to Portugal. German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika) was colonized by the Germans in 1885. The territory spanned 384,180 sq mi (995,000 km2) and covered the areas of modern Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania (not including Zanzibar).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The colony's indigenous population numbered seven and a half million and was governed by 5,300 Europeans. Although the colonial regime was relatively secure, the colony had recently been shaken by the Maji Maji Rebellion of 1904–1905. The German colonial administration could call on a military Schutztruppe ("Protection force") of 260 Europeans and 2,470 Africans, in addition to 2,700 white settlers who were part of the reservist Landsturm, as well as a small paramilitary Gendarmerie. The outbreak of World War I in Europe led to the increased popularity of German colonial expansion and the creation of a Deutsch-Mittelafrika ("German Central Africa") which would parallel a resurgent German Empire in Europe. Mittelafrika involved the annexation of territory, mostly occupied by the Belgian Congo, to link the German colonies in East, South-west and West Africa.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1885: 1885 Milestone — German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika) was colonized by the Germans in 1885.
2. 1904: 1904 Milestone — Although the colonial regime was relatively secure, the colony had recently been shaken by the Maji Maji Rebellion of 1904–1905.
3. 1917: 1917 Milestone — The campaign all but ended in German East Africa in November 1917 when the Germans entered Mozambique and continued the campaign living off Portuguese supplies.
4. 1918: 1918 Milestone — The Germans in East Africa fought for the whole of the war, receiving word of the armistice on 14 November 1918 at 07:30 hours.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: East African campaign (World War I)

True or False: “Did the initial German strategy aim to keep the focus on the Western Front by threatening British interests in East Africa?”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The objective of the German forces was explicitly to divert Allied forces and supplies from Europe to Africa.

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