Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck
| Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck | |
|---|---|
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Der Löwe von Afrika The Lion of Africa |
| Born |
20 March 1870 Saarlouis, Rhine Province, Prussia |
| Died | 9 March 1964 (aged 93) Hamburg, West Germany |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (1890–1918) Weimar Republic (1919–20) |
| Service/branch | Prussian Army |
| Years of service | 1890–1920 |
| Rank | General der Infanterie |
| Unit |
4th Foot Guards Schutztruppe of German South-West Africa XI Corps |
| Commands held |
2nd Sea Battalion Schutztruppe of German East Africa |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite mit Eichenlaub |
| Other work | Public speaker, writer |
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20 March 1870 – 9 March 1964), nicknamed affectionately as the Lion of Africa (German: Löwe von Afrika), was a general in the Prussian Army and the commander of its forces in the German East Africa campaign. For four years, with a force that never exceeded about 14,000 (3,000 Germans and 11,000 Africans), he held in check a much larger force of 300,000 British, Belgian, and Portuguese troops. Essentially undefeated in the field, Lettow-Vorbeck was the only German commander to successfully invade imperial British soil during the First World War. His exploits in the campaign have been described by Edwin Palmer Hoyt "as the greatest single guerrilla operation in history, and the most successful." Others have pointed out that it was a a campaign of supreme ruthlessness where a small, well trained force extorted supplies from civilians to whome it felt no responsibility...it was the climax of Africa's exploitation. Lettow's tactics led to famine that killed thousands of Africans and weakened the population, leaving it vulnerable to influenza epidemic in 1919
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck was born into the Pomeranian minor nobility, while his father was stationed as an army officer at Saarlouis in the Prussian Rhine Province. He was educated in boarding schools in Berlin and joined the corps of cadets at Potsdam and Berlin-Lichterfelde. In 1890, he was commissioned a Leutnant into the Imperial German Army.
In 1900, Lettow-Vorbeck was posted to China as a member of the international alliance forces to quell the Boxer Rebellion. He did not like fighting against guerrillas and considered the war detrimental to the discipline of the German Army. He returned from China in 1901 and became a member of the German General Staff.
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Wikipedia