Talk:Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck

message: Shouldn't something about this award be added?
I think the following needs some clarification:
:He fiercely opposed the Nazis, who upon inception of power made him work as a menial in Hamburg. There, Winston Churchill who still feared Lettow's military prowess but needed him for geopolitical necessities, tried to convince Lettow to assassinate Hitler. Lettow refused, on grounds that the original was lost forever and the only expiation was the total punishment of Germany.
When and how did Churchill get in touch with Lettow-Vorbeck, and why would Churchill assume, that Lettow-Vorbeck, now probably going on 70 and working as a labourer, would be in a position to assasinate Hitler? Also, I take it that "the original" refers to the Germany Lettow-Vorbeck knew and loved, but shouldn't that be explicitly stated in the text? Io 19:16, 20 Jun 2004 (UTC)
replies: text:  My understanding, unfortunately without refererences available right now, was that L-V was reduced to simple gardening and the like during the WW2 years. He basically lived in obscurity... And also that what Churchill was interested in was L-V leading a post-war government. I have never heard that he was asked to or intended to assassinate Hitler...Engr105th 04:07, 10 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pour le Mérite 

message: The name, according to My Reminiscences, is Emil. I changed the article to reflect the correct name.  I don't know how to edit the title.
Update: Signed up, but my account is too new to change the article title.
:Changed and moved. Srnec 04:25, 15 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Changed 

message: There exist a very good novel called the Ghosts of Africa (author ???) on this man's life.
:The Ghosts of Africa is by William Stevesnon. One booksller on the web has this: "A fictional account of the campaign in East Africa, inspired by the character of Von Lettow-Vorbeck.
:William Stevenson is an author, journalist and television writer and producer. A Canadian, though born in England, he served as a fighter pilot in WWII and as a reporter has covered many of the major conflicts in Africa, the Far East and the Middle East." Jeffmatt 10:06, 27 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Futher literature 

message: Anybody know of any English-language resources on the life of Heinrich Schnee, the last Governor of German East Afrika ? I'm wonderng where he came form, and what happened to him after WW1...thanks, Engr105th (talk) 23:15, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Hi. There is an article in the German Wikipedia . I don't speak German and my use of an online translator proved to be horrible. The little I understand is that apparently he was a lawyer and diplomat that run several colonial governments in New Guinea, Samoa and Africa between 1900 and WWI. In 1919 he participated in the victory march through the Berlin Gate of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the only one that the defeated Germany was allowed to do by the Allies. Later he joined the German People's Party and got a position in the Reichstag, and continued to serve as a diplomat. He died in Berlin in 1949.--Menah the Great (talk) 21:14, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Gov. Heinrich Schnee 

message: There is to much unsubstantiated claiming of "myth" in that article. It somehow smells like Anti-German propaganda and polemics. Could we please revise this and get something more solid on Wikipedia (196.2.124.254 (talk) 21:24, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Myth" 

message: I agree with “Myth” and move a step further.  On March 4, 2008 the Lettow-Vorbeck page was defaced in installments by near obscene POV pushing.  Much nonsense has crept into the narrative; the footnote section deteriorated into a sloppy, disorganized mess with dubious references and sources.  In all this, however, “Lettow-Vorbeck in German nationalism” is perhaps the crassest example of germanophobic trash talk and qualifies for removal in its entirety.  It is hoped that editors who previously contributed to the Lettow-Vorbeck entry will take issue with such deceptions and assist in restoring the page.--Gamahler (talk) 00:53, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Blatant POV 

message: Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck was a nationalist and patriot, a not unreasonable position for a senior officer from any nation.  Since there is no record of L-V having spawned a new philosophical foundation of something called “German nationalism” as a unique and negative construct, the belaboring of “quests” is POV.  What emerges then is that he was merely widely and rightly admired in defeated Germany.  I will remove the offending section.
I will also remove the van Deventer/year book references on ‘free hand at looting’ and ‘women.’  How could van Deventer or the year book editor know, were they tipped-off by the tooth fairy?--Gamahler (talk) 01:40, 15 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Distortions, distorters & aberrations, etc. 

message: Article reassessed and graded as start class. --dashiellx (talk) 18:13, 23 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  WikiProject Military history/Assessment/Tag & Assess 2008 

message: The 1933 studio portrait of Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck by Heinrich Hoffmann is perhaps not the most appropriate picture for this page.  The image shows L-V in an “unofficial” uniform with shoulder straps/epaulets of a Generalmajor, the collar tabs of a colonel, a nondescript blouse and a probably gray or dark brown replica of a Schutztruppe officer head cover.  The previous World War I era photo in this place was historically fitting; the 63-year old in 1933 seems somehow “made-up-for-the-occasion.”  It was after all the period when the Nazi hierarchy was still trying to convert L-V to their cause.  I suggest a return to the previous WWI photo as a more suitable image.--Gamahler (talk) 17:25, 28 July 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Solved, with Bundesarchiv image.Gamahler (talk) 01:00, 15 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Photo 

message: Added L-V’s daughter born in 1927. Ursula Countess Rantzau, a widow, is still alive today.
Corrected L-V’s alleged Africa meetings with Smuts and Meinertzhagen, based on The Meinertzhagen Mystery by Brian Garfield, a critical exposé and "compelling read about a flamboyant rogue."
L-V’s first meeting with Richard Meinertzhagen was at Bremen in northern Germany in June 1926. Garfield writes: "It seems to have been a cheerful and intense visit; both Lettow and Meinertzhagen discuss it in their memoirs." (p. 164)
Referring to L-V’s meeting with Jan Christiaan Smuts, Garfield quotes from L-V’s book Mein Leben: "In December 1929, I accepted an invitation from the British East Africa fighters and traveled with my wife to London.  I arrived ... at the Holborn Restaurant in London, where 1,100 former soldiers had assembled, and where for the first time I met face-to-face my erstwhile opponent General Smuts. ... We lodged at Colonel Meinertzhagen’s" [house in Kensington Park Gardens]. (p. 178)
--Gamahler (talk) 18:32, 19 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Meetings 

message: Just coming from some edition on the German Lettow entry  I have a look over here - whow this looks like a real fan page! I mean he was a brilliant tactical leader. But the "whimp" governor Schnee was right when he said (as mentioned correctly) that war would destroy everything he had achieved. I never saw any hint that it would have made a difference to the outcome of WWI if Lettow had NOT fought and just called it a day in 1914 - but tens of thousands of people would have lived. He hoped he would make a difference for Germany's chances - he was plainly wrong. The debate about "unbeaten" is something, too. Lettow plainly ran faster than the Brits who were just too dumb for that game though stronger. - The dysalotosaurus lettow-vorbecki named in his honour could be mentioned - as they start renaming all the "Lettow-Streets" in Germany that might be the public honour remaining.  Kipala (talk) 17:14, 28 April 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: A bit too much of heroe worship?

message: I have changed "Isak Dinesen" to "Karen Blixen" in the Early Life-section. Isak Dinesen was a pen name. //erik.bramsen.copenhagen  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.191.134.196 (talk) 13:47, 15 July 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Dinesen/Blixen

message: The article currently repeats several myths about Lettow such as supposed loyalty of Aksari troops, his supposed genius and so on. Almost no mention of atrocities that were committed. When they are mentioned, there is an attempt to blame them on British. Article needs a re-write using modern scholary sources for example German Colonialism and National Identity by Michael Perraudin, Jürgen Zimmerer
--MyMoloboaccount (talk) 02:19, 24 December 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Blatant POV, hero worship and repeating of myths no longer accepted by scholars 

message: The "Herero Genocide" is a swindle. --105.3.212.230 (talk) 23:35, 31 January 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Genocide" 

message: If it was Smuts' approach to "not to fight the Schutztruppe at all, but to go after their food supply" how are can it be said thet "Lettow-Vorbeck's tactics led to a famine that killed thousands of Africans and weakened the population?" Might it be more accurate to say "Smuts' response to von Lettow-Vorbeck's tactics led to ..." ? Or do we say that the tactics of both sides led to the deaths of civilians? 2603:800C:3944:BC00:A4BD:272B:F129:25E5 (talk) 04:50, 26 March 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  "....General Jan Smuts, whose new approach was subsequently not to fight the Schutztruppe at all, but to go after their food supply"