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A CRISIS OF COLONIALISM: THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN DEUTSCH-OSTAFRIKA

Year 2020, Volume: 4 Issue: 13, 83 - 92, 30.09.2020
https://doi.org/10.31455/asya.745867

Abstract

This paper aims at understanding the First World War in the German colony of Deutsch-Ostafrika from all important perspectives. It aims to show that the situation led to a crisis of colonialism; Therefore, it firstly takes a close look at the actual history of the course of the First World War in Deutsch-Ostafrika and its immediate effects for the African population. Its arguments are that German armed forces consisted mainly of African soldiers under white officers, whose constant replacement weakened the army. A lack of supplies and infrastructure led to lootings and the forced recruitment of local porters, of whom many died in service, and whose absence on their fields let to famine. The Germans therefore were at the good will of Africans, what undermined the classical colonial distribution of roles. Until the war there had been an ideological frontier between black Africans and whites of all European nations. This was important to establish a deterring system of representation, to make Africans feel inferior and not to attempt revolt. The war changed this radically, as black soldiers learned to kill white people and to understand their weaknesses. For long, furthermore colonial missionaries had struggled to spread Christianity among natives; the waring Europeans’ display of “Christianity” though led to major setbacks. The following spiritual vacuum was in part filled by the spread of Islam. The paper argues that this interplay of military, ideological and religious points shook the colonial system to its foundations. The article’s final chapter traces how some of the events of the war in Africa then effected the subsequent period.

References

  • Anderson, R. (2014). The Forgotten Front. The East African Campaign 1914-191, Stroud: The History Press.
  • Barrett, M. (2017). “Dehumanization and the War in East Afrika’’, Journal of War & Cultural Studies, 10(3): 238-252.
  • Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. New York: Rotledge.
  • General Act oft he Berlin Conference on West Africa, 26 February 1885 (1885), South African history online https://loveman.sdsu.edu/docs/1885GeneralActBerlinConference.pdf last access 31.05.2020.
  • Hull, I.V. (2005). Absolute Destruction. Military Culture and the Practices of War in Imperial Germany. London: Cornell University Press.
  • Kellerhoff, S. F.(2005), “Deutschlands vergessener Kolonialkrieg”, Welt https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article685792/Deutschlands-vergessener-Kolonialkrieg.html last access 31.05.2020.
  • Kipling, R. (1992). Die Ballade von Ost und West. Selcted Poems. Ausgewählte Gedichte (übers. v. Gisbert Haefs), Zürich: Haffmans.
  • Koller, C. (2015), ‘’Deutsche Wahrnehmungen feindlicher Kolonialtruppen im Ersten Weltkrieg’’, Südasien Chronik – South Asia Chronicle, 5: 42-62.
  • Melber, H. (1992). Der Weißheit letzter Schluß. Rassismus und kolonialer Blick. Frankfurt am Main: Brandes & Apsel.
  • Michels, S. (2009). Schwarze deutsche Kolonialsoldaten. Mehrdeutige Repräsentationsräume und früher Kosmopolitismus in Afrika. Bielfeld: Verlag für Kommunikation, Kultur und soziale Praxis .
  • Nimtz, A. H. Jr. (1980). Islam and Politics in East Africa. The Sufi Order in Tanzania. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Nyangweso (1930),, ‘’The Cult of Mumbo in Central and South Kavirondo’’, in: Journal of The East Africa and Uganda Natural History Society, 13-17.
  • Pesek, M. (2010). Das Ende eines Kolonialreiches. Ostafrika im Ersten Weltkrieg. Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag.
  • Pesek, M. (2016), “Die Absurdität kolonialer Repräsentationswelten. Humor und Gewalt in Deutsch-Ostafrika, 1889-1918”, academia.edu, 1-13 https://bit.ly/2HwZsxB last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (2009), “Die Auferstehung des Kriegshelden aus dem Bett des Offiziers. Die Konstruktion kolonialer Maskulinität im Ersten Weltkrieg”. Themenportal Europäische Geschichte, pp.1-8, https://www.europa.clipo-online.de/Portals/_Europa/documents/B2009/E_Pesek_Auferstehung.pdf last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (2004), ‘’Für Kaiser und Allah. Ostafrikas Muslime im Grossen Krieg für die Zivilisation, 1914-1919” academia.edu, pp.1-14, https://bit.ly/2LHyFUq last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (n.d.a.), “German and Allied War Crimes in the East African Campaign, 1914-18”, academia.edu, pp.1-20 https://bit.ly/2E6Stdy last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (n.d.b.), “Jihad made in Germany. German propaganda in East Africa during the First World War, 1914-18”, academia.edu, pp.1-15 https://bit.ly/2JguRYn last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (2017), “Making Sense of the War (Africa)”, International Encyclopedia of the First World War, pp.1-9 https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/pdf/1914-1918-Online-making_sense_of_the_war_africa-2017-11-13.pdf last access 31.05.2020.
  • Ranger, T. P. (1975). Dance and Society in Eastern Africa 1890-1970. The Beni Ngoma. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Samson, A. (2013). World War I in Africa. The forgotten conflict among the European powers. New York: I.B. Tauris.
  • Spivak, G. C. (2011), Can the Subaltern Speak? Postkolonialität und subaltern Artikulation. Wien and Berlin: Verlag Turia+Kant.

SÖMÜRGECİLİĞİN KRİZİ: DEUTSCH-OSTAFRİKA’DA BİRİNCİ DÜNYA SAVAŞI

Year 2020, Volume: 4 Issue: 13, 83 - 92, 30.09.2020
https://doi.org/10.31455/asya.745867

Abstract

Bu makale, Alman Deutsch-Ostafrika kolonisinde Birinci Dünya Savaşı'nı tüm önemli açılardan anlamayı ve durumun bir sömürgecilik krizine yol açtığını göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu nedenle ilk olarak Deutsch-Ostafrika‘da Birinci Dünya Savaşı'nın seyrini ve Afrika nüfusu üzerindeki etkilerini yakından incelemektedir. Almanya’nın silahlı kuvvetleri ağırlıklı olarak beyaz subaylar ve onların emrinde olan Afrikalı askerlerden oluşmaktaydı. Fakat beyaz subayların sürekli değişmesi orduyu zayıflatmaktaydı. Takviyelerin yetersizliği ve alt yapıyla ilgili sorunlar bazı sıkıntılara sebebiyet vermiştir. Bunlardan ilki yağmalar olmuştur. Yağmaların yanında askerler birçok yerli halka zorla hamallık yaptırmış ve onların ölümüne sebep olmuştur. Hamallık yapan yerlilerin kendi tarlalarında çalışmaması sonucu da kıtlık meydana gelmiştir.
Birinci Dünya Savaşı‘na kadar siyah Afrikalılar ve tüm Avrupalı beyazlar arasında ideolojik bir sınır vardı. Kurulan bu sınırın hedefi caydırıcı bir temsil sistemi kurarak Afrikalıları daha aşağı hissettirmek ve onların isyan girişiminde bulunmalarını engellemekti. Savaş, siyah askerlerin beyaz insanları öldürmesi ve beyazların zayıflıklarını anlamasıyla bu fikri kökten değiştirdi. Uzun zaman sömürgeci misyonerler Hıristiyanlığı yerliler arasında yaymak için ciddi mücadele verdiler; fakat Avrupalıların bu Hristiyanlık planları yerliler üzerinde tutmadı ve ters tepki oluşturdu Hristiyanlığa karşı oluşturulan tepki sonrası oluşan manevi boşluk, kısmen İslamiyet’in yayılmasıyla dolduruldu.
Bu çalışmada askeri, ideolojik ve dini konuların etkileşimlerinin sömürge sisteminin temellerini nasıl sarstığı ortaya çıkarılacaktır. Son kısımda ise, Afrika’daki savaş durumunun etkilerinin sonraki yıllarda nasıl ortaya çıktığı ele alınacaktır.

References

  • Anderson, R. (2014). The Forgotten Front. The East African Campaign 1914-191, Stroud: The History Press.
  • Barrett, M. (2017). “Dehumanization and the War in East Afrika’’, Journal of War & Cultural Studies, 10(3): 238-252.
  • Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. New York: Rotledge.
  • General Act oft he Berlin Conference on West Africa, 26 February 1885 (1885), South African history online https://loveman.sdsu.edu/docs/1885GeneralActBerlinConference.pdf last access 31.05.2020.
  • Hull, I.V. (2005). Absolute Destruction. Military Culture and the Practices of War in Imperial Germany. London: Cornell University Press.
  • Kellerhoff, S. F.(2005), “Deutschlands vergessener Kolonialkrieg”, Welt https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article685792/Deutschlands-vergessener-Kolonialkrieg.html last access 31.05.2020.
  • Kipling, R. (1992). Die Ballade von Ost und West. Selcted Poems. Ausgewählte Gedichte (übers. v. Gisbert Haefs), Zürich: Haffmans.
  • Koller, C. (2015), ‘’Deutsche Wahrnehmungen feindlicher Kolonialtruppen im Ersten Weltkrieg’’, Südasien Chronik – South Asia Chronicle, 5: 42-62.
  • Melber, H. (1992). Der Weißheit letzter Schluß. Rassismus und kolonialer Blick. Frankfurt am Main: Brandes & Apsel.
  • Michels, S. (2009). Schwarze deutsche Kolonialsoldaten. Mehrdeutige Repräsentationsräume und früher Kosmopolitismus in Afrika. Bielfeld: Verlag für Kommunikation, Kultur und soziale Praxis .
  • Nimtz, A. H. Jr. (1980). Islam and Politics in East Africa. The Sufi Order in Tanzania. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Nyangweso (1930),, ‘’The Cult of Mumbo in Central and South Kavirondo’’, in: Journal of The East Africa and Uganda Natural History Society, 13-17.
  • Pesek, M. (2010). Das Ende eines Kolonialreiches. Ostafrika im Ersten Weltkrieg. Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag.
  • Pesek, M. (2016), “Die Absurdität kolonialer Repräsentationswelten. Humor und Gewalt in Deutsch-Ostafrika, 1889-1918”, academia.edu, 1-13 https://bit.ly/2HwZsxB last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (2009), “Die Auferstehung des Kriegshelden aus dem Bett des Offiziers. Die Konstruktion kolonialer Maskulinität im Ersten Weltkrieg”. Themenportal Europäische Geschichte, pp.1-8, https://www.europa.clipo-online.de/Portals/_Europa/documents/B2009/E_Pesek_Auferstehung.pdf last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (2004), ‘’Für Kaiser und Allah. Ostafrikas Muslime im Grossen Krieg für die Zivilisation, 1914-1919” academia.edu, pp.1-14, https://bit.ly/2LHyFUq last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (n.d.a.), “German and Allied War Crimes in the East African Campaign, 1914-18”, academia.edu, pp.1-20 https://bit.ly/2E6Stdy last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (n.d.b.), “Jihad made in Germany. German propaganda in East Africa during the First World War, 1914-18”, academia.edu, pp.1-15 https://bit.ly/2JguRYn last access 31.05.2020.
  • Pesek, M. (2017), “Making Sense of the War (Africa)”, International Encyclopedia of the First World War, pp.1-9 https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/pdf/1914-1918-Online-making_sense_of_the_war_africa-2017-11-13.pdf last access 31.05.2020.
  • Ranger, T. P. (1975). Dance and Society in Eastern Africa 1890-1970. The Beni Ngoma. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Samson, A. (2013). World War I in Africa. The forgotten conflict among the European powers. New York: I.B. Tauris.
  • Spivak, G. C. (2011), Can the Subaltern Speak? Postkolonialität und subaltern Artikulation. Wien and Berlin: Verlag Turia+Kant.
There are 22 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Political Science
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Max Wittmann

Publication Date September 30, 2020
Submission Date May 31, 2020
Published in Issue Year 2020 Volume: 4 Issue: 13

Cite

APA Wittmann, M. (2020). A CRISIS OF COLONIALISM: THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN DEUTSCH-OSTAFRIKA. Asya Studies, 4(13), 83-92. https://doi.org/10.31455/asya.745867

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