1. A forgotten War
African Theater of WWI

2. African involvement
African colonies were forced to support the mother countries.
The support was given in various forms
Food crops
Carrier corps.
Pioneer corps e.g. Kings African Rifles.
Multi- battalion British Colonial regiment raised from Britain's various possessions in British East Africa
Only in South Africa, Africans were not allowed guns.
Many Africans were recruited to join the war against their will, e.g. British recruited 50,000 people from Sierra, Leone, Nigeria and Ghana.
In West Africa, French recruited 150,000 to fight as troops –Blaise Diagne
played a crucial role in recruiting people for example when requested to recruit 40,000 ,he provided 60,000 instead.

3. African Participation.
There were several war theaters in Africa, South West Africa, North Africa and East Africa.
Allied powers were bent on defeating Germans in Africa.
Britain joins French allies to fight Germans in Africa.
North Africa- Egypt, Turks joined war in support of Germany, were rooted by the British –to protect the Nile and the Suez Canal.
South-West Africa ( Namibia) Germans were defeated in late 1915.
Togoland was easily defeated by the allies.
Kamerun The struggle took a long period e.g. 15 months before the
defeat of the Germans
German East Africa (Tanganyika)- the toughest war theater in Africa. South African Soldiers and
West Africa- troops came to help the British. British forces came from Sudan and Belgians from West –Congo.
The Campaign lasted the war duration
British bombarded Dar es Salam and Tanga but were defeated at the battle of Tanga.
Defeated in Nyanza Province of Kenya and British had to retreat.

4. The East African Campaign
Lasted longest the last shot of World war 1 were fired in this theater.
German General Lettow Von Verbeck was undefeated.
Knew the numerical strength of British forces.
Was outnumbered10:1
So used guerrilla tactics aimed at tying the forces in
Africa so that they cannot be used in Europe.
Used Scorched earth Policy and retreat tactics.
Was still fighting in Northern Rhodesia when truce was signed in Europe.

6. Sandfontein, 26 September 1914
Battle Information
Fought mostly for much needed water resource
British Forces 35 officers, 2,463 soldiers, and 522 natives 4 thirteen pounder guns and 4,347 
German Forces 1,700 riflemen, mostly native, but all officers were German, and 4 machine gun teams and 10 artillery pieces
British Forces retreat back to a mountain, there is little cover and the forces are pinned down but well placed German Guns
British forces will surrender
One of German’s last notable victories in the African Campaign
Sandfontein, 26 September 1914

8. Battle Information
Results
Frist major offensive move of the British into East German Africa
British forces faces German forces
Tanga was sited on a high plateau in German East Africa, and was its busiest sea port as well as being the site of the crucial Usambara railway.
British loses and retreat back
Germans collect the left behind resources of the British
 British 847 casualties (including 360 fatalities)
 Germans had suffered 67 deaths (from a total of 148 casualties)
Battle of Tanga Nov

10. The war and Partition
The World war 1 marked the end of partition of Africa
German territories were dismembered and shared by the victors
Togoland & Cameroon=French and Britain.
Rwanda & Burundi=Belgium.
Tanganyika= Britain as mandate territory.
S.W. Africa =South Africa.

11. African Response. Rejected the war, had northing to do with them.
Rejected the dying of Africans in the war e.g. John Chilembe- Malawi refused his people to join the war.
Surprised that the European colonizers were fighting among themselves. They never fought during partition.
Retreated into the forests to avoid being conscripted to the war
e.g. French territories in West Africa.
Saw opportunity to assert their self determination that they had lost and many rebellions occurred led by African churches
e.g. Mumbo cult of Kenya, Harris movement in West Africa
Birth of proto- nationalist movements and rebellions
e.g. Afrikaner in S. Africa, riots in Nigeria, Egypt, Libya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Madagascar.

12. Results of the War in Africa
Destruction of land –scorched earth policy, farms & villages destroyed.
Starvation and Suffering as African food was taken by force by warring forces or paid at very low prices.
Deaths- People died fighting or due to diseases
e.g. 1 million had joined war in Kenya and TZ as porters,100,000 a died
Spread of new diseases e.g. Influenza brought back by the troops and Africans had no immunity.
Many learned how to use guns and drive military vehicles.
European superiority was demystified saw them afraid in trenches & some died.
Exposure to other troops from other parts e.g. India sensitized them about equality. Came to know why the Europeans were fighting, many learned to read – exposed to world Affairs.
Birth of Nationalism due American President Woodrow Wilson
14 points= right to self determination.
Economic hardships – export crops stopped e.g. palm oil in Nigeria, shortage of labor as able bodied people taken to serve the war , hence fall in agricultural production.