Africa in the World War.—At the out break of the war Germany had large colonial possessions in Africa. In less than thirty years of effort, the territory under her control embraced 3,000,000 kilo meters with more than 12,000,000 in habitants. In extent, her African empire was the third largest in the world, and in population was only exceeded by the colonies of France, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Her colonial adventure began in 1884, when at a single stroke she acquired Southwest Africa, Kamerun, and Togoland. New Guinea was colon ized by her to one-third of its extent, together with some of the smaller is lands in its vicinity, and in 1895 she reached out for German East Africa. By 1900, she had added to these pos sessions the Caroline and Marshall Is lands, and had become one of the great colonizing powers of the Dark Continent. From these colonies she obtained coffee, cocoa, rice, bananas, sugar cane, cotton, jute, tropical textiles, palm-oil, rubber, and a vast variety of other materials for the development of her manufacturing and commercial interests.
When the war broke out, it was a foregone conclusion that communication between the colonies and Germany would be promptly severed, owing to the pre dominating power of the British navy, to which was to be added the naval strength of Japan. The outcome of the struggle on land was more problematical, for the Germans, though outnumbered by the forces that could be brought against them by the Entente, had the immense advantages of a defensive carried on over vast spaces, through path less jungles and under especially trying climatic conditions.
The German islands in the Pacific were the first to be captured. Samoa was taken by the New Zealanders on Aug. 29, 1914, without a fight. The Caroline, Marshall, and Solomon Islands were captured by Japan, Oct. 7, 1914, and the Marshall and Solomon Islands were turned over by them to the Aus tralians Dec. 9, 1914. German New Guinea was taken by the Australian Ex peditionary Forces on Sept. 13. Thus in about four months the German flag had been lowered on all her former island possessions in the Pacific.
Togoland, a wedge-shaped territory on the north shore of the great Gulf of Guinea, comprising an area of 33,000 square miles, was attacked by joint French and British forces, and after in considerable fighting, that scarcely rose to the dignity of outpost skirmishes, was occupied on Aug. 26, 1914.
The conquest of Cameroon—or Kam erun, as the Germans call it—was at tended with more difficulty. The terri tory was twice as large as Great Britain, much of it mountainous and thickly covered with jungle. Vigorous prepara ',Ions for defense had been made for months, and there were comparatively large forces of German soldiers, sup ported by much larger numbers of native troops, thoroughly equipped, under the command of German officers. Trenches and barbed-wire entanglements had been prepared on an extensive scale.
The colony was in a vulnerable po sition, having British colonies to the northwest and French on the east and south, while the seacoast was at the mercy of the Allied fleets. The Entente
plan of campaign was based or. these geographical conditions, and sought to drive the German forces toward the cen ter by attacking from the circumference.
In the early part of January, 1915, a junction was effected between a French North Cameroon column under Colonel Brisset and a British force sent from Yola in British Nigeria, under Major Webb-Bowen. In April, the command of the Allied forces, which then numbered 900 men, was taken over by Colonel Cun liffe, and an investment began of the German fortress of Garua. The siege was pressed until June 10, when the garrison under Captain von Krailsheim surrendered unconditionally. The Allied forces, at the end of June, advanced to N'Gaundere, but found that it had been evacuated. On Aug. 11, Kounde was reached by a French force under Captain Jean Ferrandi. An operation was di rected against Yoko from Tibati in con nection with a column that was being led by Cunliffe from Kontcha. On Nov. 16 a movement was undertaken against strong German positions on Mount Banyo, while on the east two columns, setting out from Bertua and Dume, marched against Tina. The plan was for these forces to converge on Yaunde, the last remaining German stronghold in the territory. The objective was obtained, all resistance proving ineffectual. The remnant of the German forces took refuge in the Spanish Kongo, where they were interned by the Spanish authori ties and the conquest of the Cameroon colony was complete.
The campaign in German Southwest Africa began on Sept. 27, when troops of the Union of South Africa invaded the colony. Walfisch Bay was occupied on Christmas Day of the same year, and on Jan. 14 following, Swakopmund was taken. Determined stands were made by the German forces at Tretskopje and Otjimbingwe, but the Germans were scattered and the advance continued. Karibib was occupied on May 5 and Windhoek on May 12. The capture of the latter place was important, as 3,000 Europeans and 12,000 natives were taken prisoners. A valuable wireless station, which had been able to keep in touch with Berlin, was also captured, as well as a large amount of rolling stock. Aus had been taken on April 1 by the force of General Smuts, and this force joined hands with another at Keetmanshoop. The combined columns pushed on in the direction of Gibeon, where a pitched battle was fought, and to Kabus, where they again encountered stubborn but un availing opposition. After the fall of Windhoek, the campaign degenerated into guerrilla warfare carried on by the Germans from the hills to which they had retreated. By rapid marches and remarkable persistence this last vestige of opposition was subdued, and on July 9 the German Governor Seitz surrendered to the British all the German forces in Southwest Africa, thus bringing the campaign to an end. The Allied strategy had been dictated by General Botha, whose military fame was greatly aug mented by his success. The conquered colony was half again as large as the German Empire.