Military History Lecture & Dinner

Military History Evening

Thursday, 5 December 2024

Topic: The Undefeated German General

Guest Speaker: Mr Mark Dale

At the outbreak of the First World War, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was a Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the armed forces in the colony German East Africa (later Tanganyika and later still, Tanzania). He had available a garrison of about five thousand soldiers split more or less evenly between German nationals and locally raised African troops. With this small force he immediately attacked towns and lines of communication in British East Africa with success. Elsewhere the colonies of the scattered German colonial empire were quickly subdued and occupied by Allied forces but von Lettow-Vorbeck had the military skills, bushcraft and above all the leadership to maintain a disciplined army that fought doggedly until Germany surrendered in Europe.

Although he increased his force with local recruits they remained greatly outnumbered by British Imperial troops.…