Kamerun campaign facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kamerun campaign |
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| Part of the African theatre of World War I | |||||||||
 British QF 12-pounder 8 cwt firing at Fort Dachang in 1915 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Charles M. Dobell Frederick H. Cunliffe Joseph G. Aymerich Félix Fuchs |
 Karl Ebermaier Carl H. Zimmermann |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
 WAFF WIR Force Publique |
Schutztruppe |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| British: 1,668 French: 7,000 Belgian: 600 Total: 9,000 |
1914: 1,855 1915: 6,000 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| British: 917 French: 906 |
5,000 | ||||||||
The Kamerun campaign was a series of battles that happened in the German colony of Kamerun. This area is now part of modern-day Cameroon. The fighting took place during the First World War in Africa.
From August 1914 to March 1916, forces from the British, French, and Belgians invaded the German colony. Most of the battles were in Kamerun itself. However, some smaller fights also happened in British Nigeria.
By early 1916, the Allied forces had won many victories. Most German soldiers and government officials fled to the nearby neutral colony of Spanish Guinea. This campaign ended with Germany's defeat. Its former colony was then divided between France and Britain.
Contents
Why the Kamerun Campaign Happened
Germany's Colony in Africa
Germany took control of Kamerun in 1884. This happened during a time when European countries were claiming land in Africa, known as the Scramble for Africa. Germany expanded its control through local wars like the Bafut Wars.
In 1911, France gave Germany a large area east of Kamerun called Neukamerun. This was part of a deal that ended a disagreement called the Agadir Crisis. By 1914, German Kamerun covered parts of what are now Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
Kamerun's Location and Neighbors
Kamerun was surrounded by territories belonging to the Allied powers. To the north-west was British-controlled Nigeria. The Belgian Congo bordered Kamerun to the south-east. French Equatorial Africa was to the east.
The neutral colony of Spanish Guinea was almost completely surrounded by German Kamerun. In 1914, much of Kamerun was still unexplored by Europeans. The borders with French and British colonies were set between 1911 and 1913.
Military Strengths Before the War
Germany had about 1,855 "Schutztruppen" (protection troops) in Kamerun. After the war started, they managed to recruit more soldiers, reaching about 6,000 by mid-1915.
However, the Allied forces in nearby territories were much larger. French Equatorial Africa could gather up to 20,000 soldiers. British Nigeria to the west could raise an army of 7,550.
Key Events of the Campaign
Allied Invasion in 1914
When World War I began in Europe in August 1914, Germany tried to keep Kamerun neutral. They referred to old agreements from the Berlin Conference of 1885. But the Allies, especially France, refused this idea. France wanted back the land it had given to Germany in 1911.
The first Allied attacks began on August 6, 1914. French troops from French Equatorial Africa attacked from the east. This area was mostly marshland and not heavily defended by the Germans.
By August 25, 1914, British forces from Nigeria also moved into Kamerun. They attacked from three different points: the far north, the center (towards Garua), and the south (towards Nsanakang). The first fight between British and German troops happened at the Battle of Tepe. The Germans eventually had to retreat.
In the far north, British forces tried to capture the German fort at Mora. They failed at first, leading to a long siege that lasted until the end of the campaign. In the south, British forces attacking Nsanakang were defeated by German counter-attacks at the Battle of Nsanakong. A British push towards the German stronghold of Garua was also stopped in the First Battle of Garua.
In September 1914, the Germans tried to protect Douala, Kamerun's largest city and trade center. They placed mines in the Kamerun or Wouri estuary and sank some of their own ships there.
British and French warships then attacked towns along the coast. By late September, they had cleared the mines. They also landed troops from the sea to cut off Douala. On September 27, Douala surrendered to Brigadier General Charles Macpherson Dobell. He was the commander of the combined Allied force. Soon after, the Allies took control of the entire coast. The French also captured more areas to the south-east in a sea-based operation at the Battle of Ukoko.
Fighting Continues in 1915
By 1915, most German forces had pulled back. They moved into the mountains in the center of the colony. Their new capital was at Jaunde. German forces were still strong enough to stop or push back Allied attacks.
A German force from Garua even attacked British territory in Nigeria. This happened during the Battle of Gurin. This bold move led General Frederick Hugh Cunliffe to try again to take the German forts at Garua. This resulted in the Second Battle of Garua in June, which the British won.
This victory allowed Allied units in northern Kamerun to push deeper into the colony. They won another battle at the Battle of Ngaundere on June 29. However, Cunliffe's advance south to Jaunde was slowed down by heavy rains. His forces instead helped with the ongoing Siege of Mora.
When the weather improved, British forces under Cunliffe moved further south. They captured a German fort at the Battle of Banjo in November. By the end of the year, they had taken several other towns. By December, the forces of Cunliffe and Dobell met up. They were ready to attack Jaunde. During this year, most of Neukamerun was taken by Belgian and French troops. They also started preparing for the attack on Jaunde.
German Surrender in 1916
In early 1916, the German commander, Carl Zimmermann, realized the campaign was lost. Allied forces were closing in on Jaunde from all directions. German resistance was weakening.
Zimmermann ordered all remaining German soldiers and civilians to escape. They fled to the neutral Spanish colony of Rio Muni. By mid-February, the last German fort at Mora surrendered, ending its long siege.
The Spanish treated the German soldiers and civilians who escaped to Spanish Guinea well. Spain only had 180 local soldiers in Río Muni, so they couldn't force the Germans to stay. Most native Cameroonians stayed in Muni. However, the Germans eventually moved to Fernando Po. Some were later sent by Spain to the neutral Netherlands before the war ended. Many Cameroonians, including a local chief, moved to Madrid. They lived there with German financial support.
What Happened After the Campaign
In February 1916, even before the campaign ended, Britain and France agreed to divide Kamerun. Britain received about one-fifth of the colony, located near the Nigerian border. France gained Douala and most of the central plateau. This was the majority of the former German territory.
This division was officially accepted at the Paris Peace Conference. The former German colony then became League of Nations mandates called French Cameroon and British Cameroon. This was finalized by the Treaty of Versailles.
