An Italian postcard map of central and southern Africa with insets for New Guinea and Kiautschau, China, with the colonies of Italy, Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Belgium.

Il tramonto dell'impero coloniale tedesco

The sunset of the German colonial empire



Reverse:

Censura sottoprefettura Terni del 25-5-17 Censorship of the Terni sub-prefecture 25/05/17



Logo: IPA CT Gromo

130



Added stamped text:

Sammlung J. Thomas, Sachrang/Obb.

Collection of J. Thomas, Sachrang / Bavaria.

Other views: Larger, Larger, Back

British East Africa lay east of Belgian Congo and north of German East Africa with the Indian Ocean to the east. Lake Victoria lay between British and German East Africa and Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain, was in the former, east of the lake, near the border.

The Entente Allies seized most of Germany's overseas possessions by the end of 1914. German Southwest Africa held out until July 1915.

Britain dispatched 12,000 Indian troops to the colony September 1 and October 1914.

Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck commanded a colonial army of German and African (Askari) troops in a guerrilla campaign. He armed a steamer to control Lake Tanganyika. In January 1915 he attacked at Jassin, then decided to fight a defensive campaign to tie down British troops, dividing his forces into Northern, Western, and Southwestern groups. By the end of 1915 he had 3,000 Europeans and 11,300 African troops.

Attacks by German forces destroyed 32 trains and 9 bridges between May 1915 and March 1916. Under South African General Jan Smuts, the British staged an offensive between March and September 1916 to clear northern East Africa of German forces. An Anglo-Belgian advance from the northwest captured Tabora at the western end of the rail line to Dar es Salaam and the coast.

Despite the Allied advance, Lettow-Vorbeck successfully withdrew to the south leaving destroyed rail lines and bridges. He resupplied from a coastal blockade runner.

Disease forced the evacuation of many British troops in late 1916, replaced by African and West Indian troops. The primary British force grew to 35,000 men.

In the face of a British offensive in September 1917, Lettow-Vorbeck withdrew into Mozambique with 2,200 troops. Pursued by the British, they trekked 1,250 miles (2,000 km), returning to East Africa on September 28, 1918.

British East Africa is a colony in Africa.