Abstract
The German colonial police forces in the so-called Schutzgebieten (protectorates) Togo, Kamerun (Cameroon), Deutsch-Südwestafrika (German South West Africa), Deutsch-Ostafrika (German East Africa), Kiautschou, Deutsch-Neuguinea (German New Guinea) and the South Sea territories have been forgotten for decades. Like the colonial Schutztruppen (defense troops), the police forces beside German South West Africa consisted mostly of mercenaries from African or Melanesian background, led by Europeans. Their role in the Great War is, with the exception of Togo, nearly unknown by a lack of interest due to the brevity of the conflicts, a lack of sources and the fact that the three largest police forces in Cameroon, German South West and German East Africa have been integrated in the Schutztruppen immediately after the outbreak of war.
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Wiechmann, G. (2019). Police Askaris, Kaiserliche Landespolizisten and Leoleo: The German Colonial Police Forces in 1914–1915. In: Campion, J., López, L., Payen, G. (eds) European Police Forces and Law Enforcement in the First World War. World Histories of Crime, Culture and Violence. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26102-3_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26102-3_17
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
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