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Was the African Theatre of World War I.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
January 1917: During World War I, Belgian troops from the neighbouring Belgian Congo invaded actual Rwanda and Burundi and occupied it.
November 1918: The German leader in the African Great Lakes, Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, did not surrender until notified about the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war.
January 1917: The British incorporated Darfur into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1916.
Was a long guerrilla conflict which took place between 1900 and 1920 in the territories corresponding to present-day Somalia and in the border areas between Somalia and present-day Ethiopia. The Somali Islamist leader Mohammed Abdullah Hassan succeeded in uniting various clans and tribes in his country in a unitary movement of opposition to Italian and British colonial rule.
May 1903: Italian forces moved into Gallacaio, however the Dervish forces managed to escape without losses in the direction of Gumburu and Ual Ual, in the Ogaden region.
July 1903: The Dervishes bypassed the British line of resistance, and settled in the upper Nogal valley, conquering a region between British Somaliland and the Italian protectorate of Migiurtinia and equipped with an outlet to the sea at the small port of Illig.
January 1904: British forces led by General Egerton invaded the Nogal valley and engaged the main Dervish army near the village of Gid Ali in combat on 10 January 1904, inflicting a crushing defeat.
October 1908: The Dervishes resumed the conflict. A column invaded the Sultanate of Obbia and attacked the Mudugh region.
December 1911: The sultanates of Migiurtinia and Warsangali suspended the shipment of weapons and food to the dervishes, forcing the Mullah to abandon the valley of Nogal: in November 1911, 6,000 dervishes penetrated the southern regions of Somaliland, severely beating the Dhulbahante tribe and causing a vast exodus towards the cities of the coast.
February 1913: After various raids, in June 1912 the Dervish Mullah moved further south and created an independent Somali national state. The core of his territory was protected by a chain of forts to the west, and went from Mount Shimbiris on the coast to the village of Gid Ali in the interior.
August 1913: On 9 August 1913 a Dervish column engaged the only remaining British mobile force in the Somaliland Colony, Colonel Richard Corfield's Camel Constabluray, near Dul Madoba hill, destroying it.
March 1915: The forces of Migiurtinia reoccupied the Nogal valley and then encroached on Somaliland as well.
December 1920: On December 21, 1920 (the precise date is not clear) Abdullah Hassan, who was the leader of the Dervish movement, died after six days of illness (also unspecified, malaria or pneumonia). The Mullah's death effectively ended the Dervish Revolt.
March 1905: On 5 March 1905, Dervish leader Abdullah Hassan signed a truce with the British and Ethiopians in Illig, promising to stop his attacks in exchange for the cession of the territory of Nogal.
September 1913: 60 mounted dervishes entered western Somaliland and sacked the town of Burrao.
September 1902: In the summer of 1902, Dervish forces conquered the important city of Gallacaio.
October 1913: 60 mounted dervishes entered western Somaliland and sacked the town of Burrao.
February 1920: The Dervish Mullah managed to fall back with a core of warriors on Taleh. A land assault was launched on 9 February.
March 1915: In February 1915, an offensive by the reconstituted British Somaliland Camel Corps led to the capture of the Dervish fortifications set up on Mount Shimbiris and other minor positions, forcing the Mullah to withdraw his western line of resistance near his stronghold of Taleh.
July 1913: In June 1913 a new Italian expedition led to the definitive defeat of the Dervish Bagheri forces and to the occupation in southern Somalia of several inland towns such as Bur Acaba, Baidoa and Bulo Burti, while further north troops of the Sultanate of Obbia reconquered Mudugh from the rebels.
Was a war fought between France and the Zaian Confederation of Berber tribes in Morocco between 1914 and 1921 during the French conquest of Morocco.
2.1.Khenifra Conquest
Was the French conquest of Khenifra during the Zaian War.
2.2.1917 Offensive (Zaian War)
Was the French offensive of 1917 during the Zaian War.
Was a French and British invasion of the German colony of Togoland in West Africa, which began the West African campaign of the First World War.
August 1914: The French advanced to Porto Seguro and Togo.
August 1914: Allied troops led by French General Joseph Gaudérique Aymerich occupied the capital Lomé in Togoland, a German colony.
August 1914: The heaviest battle in Togo took place on August 22, 1914 near the Chra River. Due to the demoralized mercenaries and porters, and lack of ammunition, the position had to be evacuated by the Germans the following day.
August 1914: German Togo was occupied by France and Great Britain at the beginning of WWI.
December 1916: Militarly occupied Togoland was divided into French and British administrative zones.
August 1914: A column under French Captain Marchand took Aneho.
August 1914: French and British forces arrived at Kamina. The German commander then surrendered on August 26, 1914.
Was a series of battles and guerrilla actions during World War I, which started in German East Africa (GEA) and spread to portions of Mozambique, Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and Belgian Congo.
4.1.Fall of Taveta
Was the conquest of Taveta (Kenya) by German forces during World War I.
August 1914: Taveta, a town on the British side of Kilimanjaro, was captured by two companies of Askari (German colonial troops) from German East Africa.
4.2.British Offensive (East African campaign)
Was the British offensive against German forces in the East Africa Campaign of World War I.
March 1916: British conquest of Taveta.
April 1916: British conquest of Arusha.
April 1916: British conquest of Kondoa-Irangi.
June 1916: British conquest of Handeni.
July 1916: British conquest of Bukoba.
August 1916: British conquest of Malangali.
August 1916: British conquest of Morogoro.
September 1916: British conquest of Dar-Es-Salaam.
July 1916: British conquest of Mwanza.
August 1916: British conquest of Iringa.
August 1916: British conquest of Dodoma, Kilosa.
March 1916: British conquest of Moshi.
September 1916: British conquest of Kilwa and Lindi.
4.3.Belgian Offensive (East Africa Campaign)
Was the Belgian offensive against German forces in the East Africa Campaign of World War I.
September 1916: Belgian conquest of Tabora.
September 1917: To prevent Belgian claims on German territory in a post-war settlement, South African military leader Jan Smuts ordered their forces to return to the Congo, leaving them as occupiers only in Rwanda and Burundi.
October 1917: British conquest of Mahenge.
May 1916: Belgian conquest of Kigali.
August 1916: Belgian conquest of Ujiji.
4.4.German Invasion of Portuguese East Africa
Was the German invasion of Portuguese Mozambique during World War I.
November 1917: German conquest of Ngomano.
July 1918: German conquest of Namacurra.
July 1918: German conquest of Namirrue.
September 1918: German conquest of Numarroe.
4.5.British intervention in Portuguese East Africa
Was the British intervention in Portuguese Mozambique against German forces during World War I.
January 1918: British conquest of Port Amelia.
April 1918: British conquest of Medo.
July 1918: British conquest of Quelimane.
May 1918: British conquest of Korewa.
July 1918: British conquest of Mozambique.
4.6.German Invasion of Rhodesia
Was the German invasion of Rhodesia during World War I.
November 1918: On 13 November, two days after the Armistice was signed in France, the German Army took Kasama, which had been evacuated by the British.
4.7.Surrender of German East Africa
After the surrender of Germany in Europe, the troops of General Lettow-Vorbeck in German East Africa surrendered.
November 1918: When German general Lettow-Vorbeck received a telegram announcing the signing of the armistice by Germany, he agreed to a cease-fire. He marched his force to Abercorn and formally surrendered to the Entente on 25 November 1918. All the territories occupied by German forces in eastern Africa were freed, and the German colonies occupied.
Took place in the German colony of Kamerun in the African theatre of the First World War when the British, French and Belgians invaded the German colony.
November 1914: The French captured Edéa, Nola and Sanaga in October.
December 1914: The northern runway in Nkongsamba was conquered by British units.
December 1914: Shortly before Christmas 1914, the French succeeded in taking the Molundu station (Cameroon).
March 1916: After the conquest of German Cameroon by French and British forces, part of the occupied territories was integrated into French Equatorial Africa.
March 1916: Provisional division of militarly occupied German Kamerun between France and the United Kingdom.
April 1915: The French took over Lomié in 1915 when they defeated the German forces in southern Cameroon.
August 1914: On August 25, 1914, after a brief skirmish, a British-Nigerian unit occupied the border town of Tepe in northern Cameroon.
October 1914: Battle of Jabassi.
June 1915: On June 10, 1915, Garoua, a city in present-day Cameroon, was occupied by the British and French military forces.
5.1.Naval Operations
Naval operations during the Kamerun campaign of World War I.
September 1914: French infantry landed at Ukoko and took the town shortly after fighting the German garrison there. Germany had effectively no control over the portion of Kamerun to the south of the Spanish colony of Rio Muni.
September 1914: Around 1,000 British and French soldiers landed at Douala (Cameroon), occupying the port without resistance.
October 1914: Allied forces landed at Bonaberi. After some fighting the town was surrendered and the German force retreated into the interior of the colony.
The campaign was fought by the Kingdom of Italy and the British Empire during World War I against the Senussi, a religious order of Arabic nomads in Libya and Egypt.
January 1915: In December 1914 all the Italian military garrisons in Fezzan were abandoned, including that of Brak where the forces had been concentrated before the retreat.
6.1.Band of oases
Was the theatre of war in the oases during the Senussi campaign.
January 1915: In 1914, the Senussi, led by Sayyid Ahmed al-Sharif, prompted an uprising in Ghat and Ghadames, forcing the Italians out of the territory. The Senussi were a religious and political movement in Libya, seeking independence from Italian colonial rule.
April 1915: Colonel Antonio Miani and force-marching from the Sirtica, was defeated by the Senussi at Gasr Bu Hadi.
June 1915: The Senussi Revolt spreads in Bu Njem, Egypt.
February 1916: Egyptian patrols arrived in Siwa, entering unopposed, where the inhabitants appeared happy to be rid of the Senussi.
February 1916: 500 Senussi occupied the oasis at Bahariya.
February 1916: The oasis at Farafra was occupied by the Senussi.
February 1916: The Senussi moved on to the oasis at Dakhla.
March 1916: The Italians re-captured Ghadames in February 1916.
March 1916: Garrisons were installed at Dakhla and Bahariya and civilian government resumed. By the end of March, the oasis and its 20,000 occupants had been cleared of the Senussi.
January 1917: In 1916, a Senussi contingent commanded by Ramadan al-Shtaiwi invaded Tripolitania. The Senussi routed a Bedouin group led by Sayed Safi al-Din at Bani Walid.
December 1918: In 1918, the Senussi Campaign came to an end in Bani Walid, Libya. The campaign was a series of battles between the British Empire and the Senussi Order, led by Sayyid Idris. The territory of Bani Walid was left without a ruling entity after the conflict.
June 1915: The Italians abandoned Bu Njem.
March 1916: By 19 March, Senussi defeats on the coast had lowered Senussi morale. The Senussi retired from Kharga of their own accord.
September 1914: Italian troops captured Ghat in August 1914.
December 1916: In November a British expedition to Farafra took more prisoners.
6.2.Coast Theatre of War (Senussi War)
Was the theatre of war on the coast during the Senussi campaign.
January 1916: An Egyptian column reached Baqqush late on 13 January.
March 1916: British forces advanced to Bir Tegdida.
February 1916: British commander Lukin advanced to Sidi Barrani and entered unopposed.
March 1916: The British cavalry reached Alem abu Sheiba.
March 1916: A British infantry column reached Buq Buq on 11 March,.
March 1916: The Senuss fled into the desert, leaving Sollum to British forces.
January 1916: The British Western Frontier Force advanced on 22 January to Bir Shola.
February 1916: An Egyptian column attacked the Senussi and captured Jaafar Pasha, commander of the Senussi forces on the coast.
March 1916: A British infantry column reached Augerin and armoured cars occupied the Median and Eragib passes.
Was an armed insurrection in South Africa in 1914, at the start of World War I. It was led by Boers who supported the re-establishment of the South African Republic in the Transvaal.
German and Portuguese troops clashed several times on the border between German South West Africa and Portuguese Angola.
December 1914: On 18 December the largest clash of the German campaign in Angola occurred. A German force of 2,000 men under the command of Major Victor Franke attacked Portuguese forces positioned at Naulila. After stubborn resistance, the Portuguese were forced to withdraw towards the Humbe region.
December 1914: After the explosion of the munitions magazine at Forte Roçadas base, the Portuguese also left the Humbe to the German army, withdrawing farther north.
July 1915: Portuguese forces under the command of General Pereira d'Eça reoccupied the Humbe region.
Was a rebellion against British colonial rule in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi) which took place in January 1915.
Was the conquest and occupation of German South West Africa by forces from the Union of South Africa during World War I.
February 1915: Battle of Kakamas: To disrupt South African plans to invade South West Africa, the Germans launched a pre-emptive invasion of their own.
April 1915: South African conquest of Keetmannshoop.
April 1915: South African conquest of Warmbad.
April 1915: South African conquest of Gibeon.
July 1915: Battle of Otavi.
May 1915: South African Prime Minister Louis Botha, who did also command the northern forces of South Africa at the time, advanced from Swakopmund along the Swakop valley with its railway line. His forces took Otjimbingwe, Karibib, Friedrichsfelde, Wilhelmsthal and Okahandja and entered the capital of Southwest Africa, Windhuk, on 5 May 1915.
February 1915: The South Africans successfully defended the fords at Kakamas against the Germans. This prevented the Germans from crossing the river and gaining control of the territory.
July 1915: The German forces in South West Africa surrendered at Khorab on 9 July 1915.
June 1915: South African conquest of Omaruru.
A small insurrection in the town of Bussa against the policy of indirect rule in British-controlled Nigeria in June 1915.
Was an anti-colonial rebellion which took place in French West Africa (specifically, the areas of modern Burkina Faso and Mali).
A Tuareg rebellion against French colonial rule of the area around the Aïr Mountains of northern Niger.
Was a military operation by the British Empire and the Sultanate of Egypt, launched as a preemptive invasion of the Sultanate of Darfur.
March 1916: Um Shanga, a village in Sudan, was occupied by British forces.
April 1916: In 1916, during World War I, the Anglo-Egyptian force led by British General Reginald Wingate and Egyptian General Ahmed Sharif captured the territory of Burush from the Ottoman Empire. The force included two mounted infantry companies, artillery pieces, Maxim machine guns, and the 13th Sudanese Battalion companies.
April 1916: British forces continued their advance towards Um Kedada.
April 1916: On 8 April, the Anglo-Egyptian reconnaissance continued, reaching Abiad early the next day only to find that the Fur troops had left the previous evening.
April 1916: 200 men belonging to the Kababish tribe (loyal to the British) occupied Jebel Meidob.
May 1916: The British army led by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Kelly reached the village of Meliat.
October 1916: British forces reached Dibbis on 13 October.
May 1916: British mounted troops entered the capital of Darfur, finding it deserted except for some women. Sultan Ali Dinar had left El Fasher accompanied by 2,000 troops.
November 1916: In 1916, Reverend Trevor Huddleston led the military occupation of Kulme in present-day Namibia. The village was taken over by Great Britain as part of their military campaign in the region during World War I.
August 1916: British troops led by officer Kelly occupied Kebkebia, 130 km west of El Fasher.
November 1916: Dinar (the sultan of Darfur), avoiding battle, fled to Jebel Juba. British Major Huddleston reached Dinar's camp on 6 November and opened fire at a range of 460 m. The Fur troops fled, followed by Huddleston's force, around 1.6 km from the Fur camp. Huddleston's troops discovered the body of Dinar shot through the head. This was the end of the Sultanate of Darfur.
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. the Portuguese quashed the rebellion by the end of the year.
Was an uprising in 1917 during World War I in Portuguese Mozambique.
Was a conflict in June and July 1918 in the British Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria ostensibly because of the imposition of colonial taxation.
Selected Sources
Rothert, E. (1916): Karten und Skizzen zum Weltkrieg, Düsseldorf (Germany)
Strachan, H. (2001): The First World War: To Arms. Vol. I, New York: Oxford University Press, p. 641
The Great War in East Africa. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 21 April 2021 on https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:World_War_I_in_East_Africa.jpg
World War I African Theatre
