African Revolts

### Events During War

Rebellions in Entente Colonies stirred up by native protectorates and allies of Germany

## Participants

### Allied Faction

United Kingdom
Third Republic of France
Kingdom of Belgium
Republic of Portugal

### Opposing Faction

German Empire
Italian Empire
Spanish Empire
Ethiopian Empire
Indo-Persian Empire (1916-1916)
Armies of African Rebels

### Allied Commanders

Louis Botha
Jan Smuts
Charles M. Dobell
Reginald Hoskins
William Peyton
Reginald WingateFrench
Joseph G. AymerichFrançois Joseph Clozel
Hubert Lyautey
Félix Fuchs
Charles Tombeur
Armand Huyghé
Alves Roçadas
Ferreira Gil
João Teixeira Pinto
Nuri Pasha
Jafar Pasha

### Oppossing Commanders

Heinrich Schnee
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck
Hans-Georg von Döring
Karl Ebermaier
Carl H. Zimmermann
Theodor Seitz
Joachim von Heydebreck †
Victor Franke
Giovanni Ameglio
De Martino
Francisco Franco
Zewditu
Gugsa Welle
Reza Shah
Ali Razmara
Manie Maritz
Ahmed S. as-Senussi
Ali Dinar †

The African Revolts were a series of revolts in Africa during the World War I theater in Africa.

## History

### Before Conflict

German colonies in Africa had been acquired in the 1880s and were not well defended. They were also surrounded by territories controlled by Britain, France, Belgium and Portugal. Colonial military forces in Africa were relatively small, poorly equipped and had been created to maintain internal order, rather than conduct military operations against other colonial forces. Most of the European warfare in Africa during the 19th century had been conducted against African societies to enslave people and later to conquer territory. The Berlin Conference of 1884 had provided for European colonies in Africa to be neutral if war broke out in Europe; in 1914 none of the European powers had plans to challenge their opponents for control of overseas colonies. When news of the outbreak of war reached European colonialists in Africa, it was met by little of the enthusiasm seen in the capital cities of the states which maintained colonies. An editorial in the *East African Standard* on 22 August argued that Europeans in Africa (colonists and migrants) should not fight each other but instead collaborate to maintain the repression of the indigenous population. War was against the interest of the white colonialists because they were small in number, many of the European conquests were recent, unstable and operated through existing local structures of power; the organisation of African economic potential for European profit had only recently begun.

In Britain, an Offensive sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence was appointed on 5 August and established a principle that command of the seas was to be ensured and that objectives were considered only if they could be attained with local forces and if the objective assisted the priority of maintaining British sea communications, as British army garrisons abroad were returned to Europe in an "Imperial Concentration". Attacks on German coaling stations and wireless stations were considered to be important to clear the seas of German commerce raiders. The objectives were at Luderitz Bay, Windhoek, Duala and Dar-es-Salaam in Africa and a German wireless station in Togoland, next to the British colony of Gold Coast in the Gulf of Guinea, which were considered vulnerable to attack by local or allied forces and in the Far East, which led to the Siege of Tsingtao.

### Start of the African Theater

Britain then decided to invade the German colonies in Africa and Asia to get them under Allied control. Germany had plans for stopping this which were to stir up African rebels and Native African Kingdoms in the British colonies into rebelling against the British, by promising them autonomy under German rule. The Native Kingdoms gained African Soldiers from the French African armies trained by the Germans. Spain did the same in French West Africa as Italy did the same with the Arabs and Africans in French Chad. Kingdoms in French West Africa allowed themselves to be submitted as Princely Vassals by the Spanish as the French Chad organizations allowed themselves to submitted as Princely Vassals of the Italians. Germany it's colonies allowed the Kingdoms in it's African colonies autonomy as Princely States to boost morale in the African citizens as they will praise Germany and fight for the Germans.

### Start of the African Campaign in German Southwest Africa

#### **The Invasion of German Southwest Africa**

An invasion of German South West Africa from the south failed at the Battle of Sandfontein (25 September 1914), close to the border with the Cape Colony. German fusiliers inflicted a serious defeat on the British troops and the survivors returned to British territory. The Germans began an invasion of South Africa to forestall another invasion attempt and the Battle of Kakamas took place on 4 February 1915, between South African and German forces, a skirmish for control of two river fords over the Orange River. The South Africans prevented the Germans from gaining control of the fords and crossing the river.

The Germans then supported Rebellions in Angola and supplied the Native Rebels with German Weaponry and Equipment with German Drills. This distraction resulted in the British beginning to direct their attention to aid Portugal in putting down the Rebellions.

#### **Third Anglo-Zulu War**

The Germans then decided to connect German South West Africa to German East Africa to cut the contact between Britain's African colonies in the North and Britain's colonies of the South with the aid of the native kingdoms in the regions causing riots against the British. The Germans first started to annex villages and takeover military bases and hijack their communications with Britain. Germany also got help from it's Puppet State of Morocco (who's army with hordes of Algerians, with some Berbers were trained by the German Army) who bombarded and attacked British bases in British Africa as the Germans take them over.

The Germans during their campaign in Africa also got aid from the Boers and the African kingdoms in the region including the deposed ones like the Zulus who hated British rule who were promised by German diplomats to have autonomy under German rule in Africa as Native Vassals. The Boers and African Kingdoms sent forces to be trained by the German African army and serve in the corps of the group.

The Germans had a hard campaign in South Africa, but it literally paid off due to hatred of the apartheid system the British had in place contributing to a majority of German victories. The British had some victories due to the fact they fought hard and they tried to attack German colonies as the Germans had to defend them.

After hordes of fighting and many deaths, the Germans and their allies conquered Cape May and all of the other capitals of South Africa as they extended to more cities and villages. The Germans then sent their African forces in the line that connects German Southwest Africa to German East Africa and South Africa to meet each other in the middle of the two. The Germans annexed more forts, towns, villages, Native Kingdoms and cities until they encircled the British. The British put up a hard fight, but the Germans had gained many allies from various enemies of the British Empire in Africa and various riots against the British for the fact many people had dying for Imperialism which made British citizens angry. The British the surrendered after many riots due to their failures to save themselves from the encirclement attack. Germany had then conquered all of Southern Africa as the enemies of the British Empire in Africa that aided the Germans gained the status of Native Vassals. Portugal alarmed of it's ally's defeat decided to go to war with Germany. This was a big mistake as Germany easily defeated them and annexed their colonies by funding campaigns by Portuguese monarchists and training their forces German army style and from Spain who declared war on Portugal over paranoia that Portugal might conquer them to save France for Britain. Spain helped Germany conquer Portuguese Angola and Portuguese Mozambique with the protectorates and former protectorates of Portugal in the regions.

The fight against Portugal was easy as the monarchists and Spain caused the republic enough trouble that the Republic of Portugal surrendered and was destroyed and replaced with the restored monarchy as Manuel II returned to power as monarch with his German wife Princess Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern. Manuel II gracious for his return gave Germany Portuguese Angola and Portuguese Mozambique as they were merged in the Southern Portion of German ruled Southern Africa.

### Conquest of Egypt

Opposition to European interference in Egypt's affairs resulted in the emergence of a nationalist movement that coalesced and spread after the British military intervention and occupation of 1882. The immediate causes of Egypt's support of Italy, however, were British actions during World War I that caused widespread hardship and resentment. Specifically, these included Britain's purchase of cotton and requisitioning of fodder at below market prices, Britain's forcible recruitment of about 500,000 peasants into the Egyptian Labour Corps and the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, and its use of the country as a base and a garrison populated by British, Australian, and other troops. After the war, Egypt felt the adverse effects of soaring prices and unemployment.

Ahmed Sharif noticing this told the Italians that they have the perfect chance to get Egypt on their side. Italy agreed as they then met with the ruler of Egypt Abbas II. Abbas II relations with Sir Eldon Gorst, Consul-General in Egypt, were excellent, and they co-operated in appointing the cabinets headed by Butrus Ghali in 1908 and Muhammad Sa'id in 1910 and in checking the power of the National Party. The appointment of Kitchener to succeed Gorst in 1912 displeased Abbas II, and relations between the Khedive and the British deteriorated. Kitchener, who exiled or imprisoned the leaders of the National Party, often complained about "that wicked little Khedive" and wanted to depose him.

Abbas II then went to Constantinople to get the Ottomans to liberate Egypt from British control. Sadly he was assassinated by British Agents after Ottoman Intelligence reported that he was heading to Constantinople and he was going to "overthrow the British boons". The British replaced him with his uncle Hussein Kamel who was pro British and declared himself the Sultan of the Sultanate of Egypt. Though presented as the re-establishment of the pre-Ottoman Egyptian sultanate, the newly created Sultanate of Egypt was to be a British protectorate, with effective political and military power vested in British officials. This brought to an end the de jure Ottoman sovereignty over Egypt, which had been largely nominal since Muhammad Ali's seizure of power in 1805.

Sadly this got the Nationalists on the side of the Italians and Ahmed Sharif as the Italian Army then trained them in Italian Military Style. They then led the Egyptians in a Jihad against Hussein Kamel. The forces of the Italians and Ahmed Sharif fought hard against the British who were easily able to get reinforcements from India, Australia and New Zealand due to the Suez being owned by the British and the Ottomans.

The Italians then had forces from Eritrea and Italian Somalialand create a blockade extending from those colonies all the way to the Arabian Peninsula to prevent Britain from sending reinforcements to Egypt. The colonies were able to do this as they had a hard time fighting the British. Hussein Kamel and his family were assassinated by the Italians who bring to power his brother who is a supporter of the National Party, Fuad Muhammad Ali. Fuad was originally going to be a candidate for the throne of the Kingdom of Albania, but the Italians wanted a Christian ruler in the region. Fuad then is crowned Sultan of Egypt, but Fuad instead became King.

Egypt was about to be a colony with Fuad as a protectorate, but a Praetor instead wanted to make Egypt a Puppet State of Egypt. The Arabs pressured the vote to a Puppet State and Egypt then became a Puppet State ruled by Fuad I as king. The Ottomans started to send it's Naval forces into Egypt. The Italians were prepared for this as they sent their navy to fight against the Turkish Navy. The Italians then contacted Bulgaria to distract the Ottomans and if they succeeded with the operation then Bulgaria will gain the Gallipoli Peninsula. Bulgaria then agrees to commit to the operation as it bombards Constantinople.

The Italians were able to get a victory due to Bulgarians distracting the Ottomans by shelling Constantinople to distract the Ottomans themselves.

### War Gets Harder

The War on within Central Africa got harder as Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway and Sweden gained involvement with British Colonial Forces and Colonial Forces from the Dutch East Indies. Luckily for Germany, Italy and Spain were at their side to fight the invaders with all of Germany's puppet states in Europe (created after the German campaign to conquer the Eastern Front), Italy's Puppet States of Corsica and Monaco and Spain's Puppet States of the Kingdom of France and Andorra with Germany's Native vassals and colonial forces in Southern Africa. The British and Netherlands had tensions over the British treatment of the Boers and said it was Britain's fault for not treating them well which made the Boers join the side of the Germans. Britain said let go of the past and focus on their current enemy. Belgium as an ally of Britain who was an ally of France decided to take charge of the Indochina colony and send Indochinese forces into Africa to help.

### East Africa

On the outbreak of war there were 2,760 *Schutztruppen'*and 2,319 men in the King's African Rifles in East Africa. On 5 August 1914, British troops from the Uganda Protectorate attacked German outposts near Lake Victoria and on 8 August HMS *Astraea* and *Pegasus* bombarded Dar es Salaam. On 15 August, German forces in the Neu Moshi region captured Taveta on the British side of Kilimanjaro. In September, the Germans raided deeper into British East Africa and Uganda and operations were conducted on Lake Victoria by a German boat armed with a QF 1 pounder pom-pom gun. The British armed the Uganda Railway lake steamers SS *William Mackinnon*, SS *Kavirondo*, SS *Winifred* and SS *Sybil* and regained command of Lake Victoria, when two of the British boats trapped the tug, which was then scuttled by the crew. The Germans later raised the tug, salvaged the gun and used the boat as a transport.

The British command planned an operation to suppress German raiding and to capture the northern region of the German colony. Indian Expeditionary Force B of 8,000 troops in two brigades would land at Tanga on 2 November 1914 to capture the city and take control the Indian Ocean terminus of the Usambara Railway. Near Kilimanjaro, Indian Expeditionary Force C of 4,000 men in one brigade, would advance from British East Africa on Neu-Moshi on 3 November, to the western terminus of the railway. After capturing Tanga, Force B would rapidly move north-west to join Force C and mop up the remaining Germans. Although outnumbered 8:1 at Tanga and 4:1 at Longido, the *Schutztruppe* under Lettow-Vorbeck defeated the British offensive. In the British Official History, Charles Hordern, wrote that the operation was "... one of the most notable failures in British military history". The contributions of the British defeat were not just the significantly smaller force of German Askaris and colonial volunteers under Lieutenant Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, but also diseases and swarms of Angry Bees (which also attacked the Germans).

The Defeat was so much of a disaster that all of the Indian Units in the Battle Defected to the side of the Pahlavi Dynasty ruled Persian Empire (Indo-Persian Empire) which also resulted in hordes of British Indian Soldiers defecting to the side of Reza's forces and they helped Reza conquer the Sultanate of Zanzibar which is a Puppet State of the Empire.

General Horace Smith-Dorrien was sent from England to take command of the operations in East Africa but he contracted pneumonia during the voyage and was replaced by General Smuts. Reinforcements and local recruitment had increased the British force to 13,000 South Africans British and Rhodesians and 7,000 Indian and African troops, from a ration strength of 73,300 men which included the Carrier Corps of African civilians. Belgian troops and a larger but ineffective group of Portuguese military units based in Mozambique were also available. During the previous 1915, Lettow-Vorbeck had increased the German force to 13,800 men.

The main attack was from the north from British East Africa, as troops from the Belgian Congo advanced from the west in two columns, over Lake Victoria on the British troop ships SS *Rusinga* and SS *Usoga* and into the Rift Valley. Another contingent advanced over Lake Nyasa (now Lake Malawi) from the south-east. Lettow-Vorbeck evaded the British, whose troops suffered greatly from disease along the march. The 9th South African Infantry began the operation in February with 1,135 men and by October it was reduced to 116 fit troops, mostly by disease. The Germans avoided battle because of this but they instead sent their Native Collaborator Forces to fight the 116 fit troopers as they wiped them out.

### German and American aided Uprisings

In March 1917 the Makonbe people achieved a measure of social unity, rebelled against the Portuguese colonialists in Zambezia province of Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique) and defeated the colonial regime. About 20,000 rebels besieged the Portuguese in Tete. The British refused to lend troops to the Portuguese but 10,000–15,000 Ngoni people were recruited on the promise of loot, women and children. Through terrorism and enslavement, the Portuguese quashed the rebellion by the end of the year. Repercussions of the rising continued as British administrators in Northern Rhodesia in 1918 struggled to compensate local civilians for war service, particularly during the famine of 1917–1918. The Colonial Office banned the coercion of local civilians into British service in the colony, which stranded British troops.

The colonial authorities in Portuguese Mozambique increased the brutality of their occupation during the war. "Revolting practices" criticised by the British, such as forced labour, were increasingly applied despite the abolition of slavery. Press gangs (*cipais*) used the most brutal coercion to mobilise whole populations, young, old and infirm people not being exempted and women being raped. By the end of 1916, many young men had fled to Southern Rhodesia and Transvaal to escape the Portuguese and to earn living wages. The condition of the populations left behind worsened to the point that when the *cipais* tried to raise another 5,000 carriers from the kingdom of Barue in March 1917, the population rebelled. Disgust at Portuguese depredations united many peoples but the rivals for the title of Makombe of the Wabarue fought independent campaigns, attracting support from the bandits in the Zambesi valley. At the end of April, the rebels routed a Portuguese force sent to suppress the rising and reached the provincial capital of Tete; by the end of May had overrun most of Zambezia Province. About 100,000 people crossed the border into British Nyasaland and the Rhodesian colonies to escape the violence but the disruption did little to alter British disdain for Portuguese methods and despite having received troops to help put down the Chilembwe rebellion, they refused to send troops, only allowing guns and ammunition over the border. In May the Portuguese began to suppress the rebels by butchering thousands of people, enslaving women and plundering territory.

These uprisings and rebellions resulted in Germany funding the rebels with the aid of the Americans who declared John Chilembwe, a millenarian Christian minister of the "Watch-Tower" sect, in the Chiradzulu district of Nyasaland (now Part of South Germany), against colonial forced labour, racial discrimination and new demands on the population caused by the outbreak of World War I to be the leader. Chilembwe first rejected co-operation with Europeans in their war, when they withheld property and human rights from Africans, but the Germans revealed that they have natives who hate the British as allies which later convinced him to join.

The Uprisings were successful and the rebels accepted German rule as long as they were allowed to represent themselves in the German Government. The Germans also conquered the Belgian Congo with ease due to the Belgians being overwhelmed by the Germans and their allies and Native Uprisings.

### The Ethiopian Operation

The War in Africa was easier for Italy, however the British planned to invade the Arabian Peninsula by wiping out Italy's colonies of Eritrea and Italian Somaliland which the Italians were having a hard time keeping them in Italian domination due to the advantage the British had as they have Sudan as a Colony. Egypt invaded and only gained the Far North area of Sudan due to the fierce fighting of the British, the limited Italian assistance and Italian Paranoia of invading Ethiopia. The Italians however decided to manipulate Ethiopia in thinking that the British are trying to invade them. This got Italy in trouble with Ethiopia as Italy met with the Ethiopian Government. Italy got Ethiopia on their side by saying if Ethiopia helped Italy defeat the British in the Horn of Africa, Sudan and Kenya then Ethiopia gets those regions as Ethiopia forced the Italians to give up Eritrea and Italian Somaliland to extend their coast. Italy agreed as Ethiopia was their only hope in stopping the British forces in Sudan and the horn of Africa. Ethiopia had an easy campaign in Kenya and the British and French Somalilands due to the help of Italy and it's Puppet States in the Arabian Peninsula fighting off the British.

The Sudan campaign was hard due to the fact the British were fighting like cornered animals as they fought Italians, Ethiopians and Egyptians. The British surrendered after low morale and tons of casualties. The British units in Sudan were killed mercilessly as a way to make the British have low morale and get tired of the war even more.

## Aftermath

The Aftermath of the Africa theater was that the British, French, Belgian and Portuguese Empires in Africa were destroyed and the German, Italian and Spanish Empires in Africa had become stronger Empires as they gained all the African territories of their enemies. The expansion of the German, Italian, Indo-Persian, Ethiopian and Spanish Empires in Africa caused an uprising in Liberia that started with the creation of the Syndicalist Republic of Black America and the rise of the Black Liberation Army calling all the German collaborators as traitors and went on a violent rampage to free Africa from European, Indo-Aryan, Arab, Tribal and Christian African rule and create a United African Socialist State.