The East and South West Africa Campaigns where the two major engagements of WWI that took place on African soil. Both pitted a mixed Allied force against a large German garrison, and both were conducted as part of South Africa's contribution to the War as a dominion of the Empire.

A principal commander in both campaigns was General Jan Christian Smuts. In South West Africa Smuts served under General Louis Botha, who at that time was also Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. In the Tanganyika Territory the campaign was led through most of its duration by Smuts himself, who did so as a British General with no history in the British Army and no formal military training at all.

The two campaigns, but in particular the South West African, created tremendous difficulties for a South African government nominally committed to the Empire, but also serving a large population of Afrikaans speakers who had recently suffered defeat at the hands of the British in the Anglo/Boer War, and who owed a deeper allegiance to the Germans who had assisted the Boer materially during the bitter years of fighting. None then could then see the sense in taking up arms against an ally in support of an enemy.

The German commander in the East African Campaign was the brilliant and mercurial General Paul Emil von Lettow Vorbeck who, confronted by a larger and better equipped force, maintained a momentum of guerrilla warfare in a highly mobile series of operations that made use of a dedicated clique of German officers commanding a highly mobile and well trained force of native askaris. The Germans were never wholly defeated in east Africa, and von Lettow Vorbeck surrendered to the allies only after the general armistice in Europe,

A study of these two important campaigns of WWI involve journeys through South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania. A degree of prior arrangement is necessary with many sites, particularly in Tanzania, not being easily accessible. If you are interested in this trip, or any trip you see on my site, and any that you do not, contact me for times, dates, itinerary and costs.

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