Heinrich Schnee

Heinrich Albert Schnee
Governor of German East Africa
In office 1912–1919
Preceded by	Albrecht von Rechenberg
Succeeded by	None
Personal details
Born	(1871-02-04)4 February 1871 Neuhaldensleben, German Empire
Died	23 June 1949(1949-06-23) (aged 78) Berlin, Germany
Nationality	German
Profession	diplomat, public servant, politician, author

Heinrich Albert Schnee (Albert Hermann Heinrich Schnee; 4 February 1871 – 23 June 1949) was a German lawyer, colonial civil servant, politician, writer, and association official. He served as the last Governor of German East Africa.

Schnee was born in Neuhaldensleben, the son of the district court Councillor Hermann Schnee (1829–1901) and his wife Emily (née Scheibe). He attended high school in Nordhausen, and studied law in Heidelberg (member of the Corps Rhenania Heidelberg), Kiel, and Berlin (Dr. jur., 1893). In 1897 he got a job in the Foreign Office, and in 1898 he became a judge and the Deputy Governor of German New Guinea. In 1900, he became a District Officer and Deputy Governor of German Samoa. After 1904 he again served as a Legation Councillor in the Colonial Department of the Foreign Office in Germany.

In 1905 he became Colonial Advisory Councilor of the embassy in London, in 1906 Lecturing Councillor, and in 1907 Dirigent. From 1911 onwards he was Ministerial Director and head of the political and administrative division in the Imperial Colonial Office in Berlin.

From 1912 to 1919 Schnee served as the last Governor of German East Africa. His tenure was marked by the outbreak of the First World War. As Governor he held supreme military command. However, he soon disagreed with the commander of the Schutztruppe, General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, on defensive strategy. Ultimately von Lettow-Vorbeck prevailed with his guerrilla tactics and increasingly assumed control of operations. On 2 March 1919, Schnee and Lettow-Vorbeck led the returning fighters from East Africa through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

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