German East Africa was Germany's colony in East Africa, including what is now Burundi, Rwanda, and the mainland part of Tanzania. It came into existence during the 1880s and ended during World War I, when the area was taken over by the British. It measured 384,170 mi² (994,996 km²) in size. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... In politics and in history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a geographically-distant state. ... East Africa is a region generally considered to include: Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Somalia Tanzania Uganda Burundi, Rwanda, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Sudan are sometimes considered a part of East Africa. ... // Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties 5 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) 3 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) World War I, also known as the First World...

Foundation

5 Rupee Banknote from 1905 - issued by German East Africa (http://www.germannotes.com)

The colony's story begins with Karl Peters, an adventurer who founded the "Company for German Colonization" and had signed some treaties with native chiefs of the mainland across from Zanzibar. On March 3, 1885, the German government announced that it had granted an imperial charter (secretly, on February 17) to Peters' company, and intended to establish a protectorate in East Africa. Peters then recruited a variety of specialists who fanned out across the country, south to the Rufiji River, and north to Witu, near Lamu on the coast. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Karl Peters (September 27, 1856 - September 10, 1918), German traveller in Africa, one of the founders of German East Africa (East Africa, todays Tanzania), was born at Neuhaus on the Elbe, the son of a Lutheran clergyman. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar, Tanzania, comprises a pair of islands off the east coast of Africa called Zanzibar (Unguja) (1994 est. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. ... Lamu town is the largest town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya, (coordinates 02°16′S 40°55′E). ...

When the Sultan of Zanzibar protested (as he considered himself the ruler of the mainland), Bismarck sent five warships (including Stosch, Gneisenau, and Prinz Adalbert), which arrived August 7 and trained their guns on the Sultan's palace. The net result was that the British and Germans agreed to divide the mainland into spheres of influence, and without British support, the Sultan had to go along. Alternative meanings: See Bismarck (disambiguation). ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ...

The Germans quickly established their rule over Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam, and Kilwa. The Abushiri Revolt revolt that started in 1888 was put down (with British help) in the following year. In 1890, London and Berlin made a deal that gave Heligoland to Germany, and defined the limits of German East Africa (the exact borders remained ill-defined until 1910). The town of Bagamoyo is the oldest town in Tanzania, founded by the end of the 18th century. ... Dar es Salaam (دار السلام), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city (pop. ... Kilwa Kisiwani is an Islamic community on an island off the coast of East Africa, in present day Tanzania. ... The Abushiri Revolt was an insurrection in 1888-9 by the Arab population of the areas of the East African coast which were granted to Germany by the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1888. ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Birdseye view, Helgoland, Germany, ca. ... -1...

Between 1891 and 1894, the Hehe — led by Chief Mkwawa — resisted German expansion, but were eventually defeated because other tribes were in favour of the newcomers. After a period of guerrilla warfare, Mkwawa himself was cornered and committed suicide in 1898. 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Hehe (also Wahehe) began as a number of independent chiefdoms made up of mixed people who were in some instances related to one another and are a Bantu tribe who live primarily in the Iringa region of Tanzania, numbering around 192,000, with no chiefdom over 5,000 people... Paramount Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga (1855 – 19 June or 19 July 18981), more commonly known as Chief Mkwawa, was a Hehe tribal leader in German East Africa (now Tanzania) who opposed the German colonisation. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The Germans were always few in number in the colony, relying on native chiefs to keep order, collect the taxes and start commercial farms for cash crops, such as cotton, coffee and sesame. Cotton plant as imagined and drawn by John Mandeville in the 14th century Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant (Gossypium spp. ... Coffee in beverage form. ... Binomial name Sesamum indicum L. Thai workers harvesting sesame Sesame is a plant grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds. ...

The Maji Maji Rebellion occurred in 1905, and was soon put down by Count Adolf von Götzen. But scandal soon followed, with stories of corruption and brutality, and in 1907 Bülow appointed Bernard Dernburg to reform the colonial administration, which became a model of colonial efficiency and commanded extraordinary loyalty among the natives during the First World War. The Maji Maji Rebellion was a revolt by native African tribes in German East Africa against their German colonial rulers, lasting from 1905 to 1907. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Von Bülow was a German noble family, with titles Baron (Freiherr) or Prince (Fürst). ...

First World War

The story of German East Africa in the First World War is essentially the history of the colony's military commander, General Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck. A vibrant and young officer, he spent the war harrying the forces of the British Empire, tying down with his band of 3,000 Europeans & 11,000 native levies, called Askaris, a British/Imperial army 300,000 strong, which was at times commanded by the former Second Boer War commander Jan Smuts. One of his greatest victories was at the Battle of Tanga, where he beat a British force more than eight times the size of his own. General Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck (March 20, 1870 - March 9, 1964) was the commander of the German East Africa campaign in World War I, the only colonial campaign of that war where Germany remained undefeated. ... A drawing of an Askari by Wilhelm Kuhnert Askari is an Arabic and Swahili word meaning soldier. It was frequently used to describe indigenous troops in East Africa and the Middle East serving European colonial powers but also describes policemen and security guards. ... The Second Boer War, also known as the South African War, was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902. ... Jan Smuts Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM (May 24, 1870 – September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African statesman and general. ... The Battle of Tanga (sometimes nicknamed the Battle of the Bees) was the blundered attempt by the United Kingdom to capture Tanzania) during World War I. It was the first major event in the war in Africa. ...

Lettow-Vorbeck's masterful mix of guerrilla warfare and daring raids ended up costing the British war effort massive resources and upwards of 60,000 casualties. Nonetheless, weight of numbers, and dwindling supplies, forced Lettow-Vorbeck into a grudging withdrawal. Ultimately, Lettow-Vorbeck fought his tiny force out of German East Africa and into Mozambique, where he surrendered a few weeks after the end of the war. Guerrilla War redirects here. ...

Heralded after the war as one of their few heroes, the Germans celebrated Lettow-Vorbeck's Schutztruppe as the only German force in the First World War not to have been defeated in open combat. Incredibly, not a single one of his Askari colonial troops deserted over the entire length of the war, and were later given pensions by the Weimar Republic. One can read about this in Von Lettow-Vorbeck's book My Reminiscences of East Africa, or alternately titled in German as HEIA SAFARI! Deutschlands Kampf in Ostafrika. More accessibly, one can read Byron Farwell's The Great War in Africa, 1914-1918, and Battle for the Bundu, The First World War in East Africa by Charles Miller. The Schutztruppe was the colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 1800s to 1918 when Germany lost its colonies. ... Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties 5 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) 3 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) World War I, also known as the First World... A drawing of an Askari by Wilhelm Kuhnert Askari is an Arabic and Swahili word meaning soldier. It was frequently used to describe indigenous troops in East Africa and the Middle East serving European colonial powers but also describes policemen and security guards. ... Flag of Weimar Republic, 1919–1933 Coat of arms The Weimar Republic (German Weimarer Republik, IPA: []) is the historical name for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 to 1933. ...

The German raider, SMS Königsberg also fought off the coast of East Africa. She was eventually scuttled in the Rufiji delta in July 1915. SMS Königsberg was a Kaiserliche Marine light cruiser, which was in German East Africa at the start of World War I. She operated in her design role as a raider of merchant shipping. ... Look up July in Wiktionary, the free dictionary July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

10 pesa on 20 pfennig overprint of 1893, used 5 July 1894 at Tanga

The Treaty of Versailles broke up the colony, giving the western area to Belgium as Ruanda-Urundi, the small Kionga Triangle south of the Rovuma River to Portugal to become part of Mozambique, and the remainder to Britain, who named it Tanganyika. ImageMetadata File history File links Scan of German East Africa 10-para overprint stamp of 1893, made by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Overprint German East Africa User:Stan Shebs/Gallery/Philately ... ImageMetadata File history File links Scan of German East Africa 10-para overprint stamp of 1893, made by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Overprint German East Africa User:Stan Shebs/Gallery/Philately ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For other meanings, see Tanga (Portugal), Tanga (clothing) and Tanga (Movie). ... It has been suggested that Irreconcilables be merged into this article or section. ... Ruanda-Urundi was a Belgian League of Nations Mandate and then UN trust territory from 1924 to 1962 when it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. ... The Kionga Triangle was a tiny territory on the border between German East Africa (present-day Tanzania) and Mozambique, totalling just 1000 km² (400 mi²). ... The Ruvuma River (formerly also known as the Rovuma River) forms the greater part of the boundary between the countries of Tanzania and Mozambique. ... Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ...

Postage stamps

5-pesa "Yacht", postmarked Lindi, 27 July 1901

The first postage stamps issued for German East Africa came in 1893, as surcharges in pesa values on regular German stamps, along with the inscription "Deutsch-Ostafrika." In 1900, Germany issued the "Yachts," a common design used for all of Germany's colonies, featuring the Kaiser's yacht Hohenzollern. In German East Africa they were denominated in pesas and rupees (64 pesas to a rupee), and inscribed "DEUTSCH-OSTAFRIKA". In 1905 new stamps were printed in "hellers," 100 hellers to a rupee. Germany continued to print stamps even as things went badly in the war, issuing a 1-rupee watermarked Yacht in 1916 (genuine uses of this stamp are extremely rare, worth US$20,000 or more). Most types of German East Africa stamp sell for under US$10, but the high denominations and early overprints up to US$100. Lindi is both a seaside town (2003 pop. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A selection of postal stamps from Hong Kong A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... An overprint is the addition of text (and sometimes graphics) to the face of a postage stamp after it has been printed. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

After the colony was occupied by Belgian and British troops, each issued its own provisional stamps. In 1916, the Belgians overprinted stamps of Belgian Congo in several ways, first with "RUANDA" and "URUNDI," although these were never actually used. A second series was overprinted with the dual-language "EST AFRICAIN ALLEMAND / OCCUPATION BELGE / DUITSCH OOST AFRIKA / BELGISCHE BEZETTUNG." In 1922 these stamps received surcharges ranging from 5c to 50c. 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 - The Royal Army Medical Corps first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... An overprint is the addition of text (and sometimes graphics) to the face of a postage stamp after it has been printed. ... The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between King Léopold IIs formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November, 1908, to the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June, 1960. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Initially, in 1916, the British overprinted stamps of the Nyasaland Protectorate with "N.F.", for "Nyasaland Force," then in 1917 switched to the overprint "G.E.A." on stamps of East Africa and Uganda. The same overprint appeared on stamps inscribed "East Africa and Uganda Protectorates," but these were issued after the establishment of Tanganyika, and are considered part of Tanganyika's postal history. The Republic of Malawi is a land-locked nation in east Africa. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

External links

• The coins and bank notes of German East Africa

See also

• List of former German colonies
• German East Africa Company
• Germans of Namibia