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43-547: From 1904 to 1914, it was the headquarters of the German colonial military forces (" Schutztruppe "). Because of its moderate temperatures, owing to the altitude of the village (approximately 700 m), the Baptist missionary Carl Jacob Bender turned Great Soppo into a retreat for missionaries in the coastal regions of Cameroon. The church he built in the 1930s still hovers above the village. The present-day traditional ruler of Great Soppo

86-507: A grey or khaki slouch hat called the Schutztruppenhut (aka Südwester) on which the edge of the hat and the cap band were in the color of the respective Schutztruppe. The protectorate colours were as follows; German East Africa white, Cameroon dark red, German South West Africa cornflower blue, Togo yellow, German New Guinea green, German Samoa light pink. Additionally, as Imperial Troops, the 'Reichskokarde' cockade in black, white and red

129-517: A recruitment depot, a signals department and quartermaster unit. Overall strength was 300 European recruits and 2,472 Africans, specifically 68 combatant officers, 60 warrant officers and NCOs , 132 non-combatant medical officers, civilian administrators, ammunition technicians, and 2 African officers and 184 African NCOs and 2,286 Askari . Lastly there was the Polizietruppe, formed in 1909, with 60 German and around 2,000 experienced askari which

172-456: A red fez over which a khaki cover could be worn in the field. Company numbers were often worn on the front of the fez. In field conditions the askari wore either a khaki cover over their red fez or a khaki tarbush consisting of a khaki cloth over a wicker frame. Later in the war African troops wore a large floppy hat en lieu of the fez. The arm of service color for African/native troops was red so their uniforms, when trimmed, were trimmed red down

215-649: A total of 1,967 personnel. German West Africa encompassed two colonial entities, Kamerun and Togoland . The Kamerun force in 1914 consisted of 12 companies, totalling 1,600 men with headquarters at Soppo and established in 1894 from the existing police force (formed in 1891). The structure of the Kamerun forces was as follows: Central Command: Soppo near the capital Buea The companies were assigned to 49 garrisons in Kamerun and consisted of 61 officers, 23 physicians, 23 civilian administrators, ammunition technicians, 98 German NCOs and 1,650 African enlisted ranks for

258-535: A total personnel count of 1,855. Togoland had a total police force of 673 personnel deployed throughout the colony. Approximately 1,000 troops were raised after the outbreak of the war. With very little arms, ammunition, or provisions, by the end of August 1914, all units had surrendered to French and British forces . When the Schutztruppe for German East Africa was founded in 1891, special uniforms were created which, among other things, were intended to underline

301-429: A white dress uniform was worn by European officers and NCOs for ceremonial occasions, both white and khaki uniforms were cut the same with four patch pockets and a stand and fall collar. The Schutztruppe arm of service color was blue so their uniforms were trimmed blue down the trousers seam, the fly of their tunic, collar edge, plus NCO's wore silver on blue inverted chevrons on the left sleeve only They were also supplied

344-507: Is H.R.H. Etina Monono amid councilors like Matanga Monono, Nganda Tônga, Ngale Lambe, Liombe Becke, Wôlôa Monono and others who work in synergy to pursue betterment of the Soppo community. Great Soppo is a second class chiefdom in the Buea Municipality preceded by a then fraternity known as Soppo Ndene. The village has a female chief (môlana ndene); Môjôkô Muaka who administers and adjudicates

387-517: Is worth noting; Soppo is the only village in Fako where the greatest of all great things betide” (ômā nånú). This Southwest Region (Cameroon) location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Schutztruppe Schutztruppe ( German: [ˈʃʊtsˌtʁʊpə] , lit. Protection Force) was the official name of the colonial troops in the African territories of

430-744: The Abushiri Revolt broke out in the dominions of the German East Africa Company , Bismarck's government in Berlin had to send mercenary troops under Reichskommissar Hermann Wissmann to subdue the uprising. Upon the establishment of German East Africa, these Wissmanntruppe were changed to Schutztruppe by an act of the Reichstag parliament on 22 March 1891. The police forces for South-West Africa under Curt von François and for German Cameroon were re-established as Schutztruppe by

473-666: The German colonial empire from the late 19th century to 1918. Similar to other colonial armies, the Schutztruppen consisted of volunteer European commissioned and non-commissioned officers, medical and veterinary officers. Most enlisted ranks were recruited from indigenous communities within the German colonies or from elsewhere in Africa. Military contingents were formed in German East Africa , where they became famous as Askari , in

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516-720: The Kamerun colony of German West Africa , and in German South West Africa . Control of the German colonies of New Guinea , in Samoa , and in Togoland was performed by small local police detachments. Jiaozhou in China under Imperial Navy administration was a notable exception. As part of the East Asian Station the navy garrisoned Qingdao with the marines of Seebattaillon III,

559-550: The Palace of Versailles during the Siege of Paris . Wilhelm accepted this title grudgingly on 18 January, having preferred "Emperor of Germany" ( German : Kaiser von Deutschland ). However, that would have signaled a territorial sovereignty unacceptable to the South German monarchs, as well as a claim to lands outside his realm ( Austria , Switzerland , Luxembourg , etc.). "Emperor of

602-697: The Wends and the Kassubes , of Crossen , Lauenburg and Mecklenburg ; Landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia ; Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia ; Prince of Orange ; Prince of Rügen , of East Friesland , of Paderborn and Pyrmont , of Halberstadt , Münster , Minden , Osnabrück , Hildesheim , of Verden , Cammin , Fulda , Nassau and Moers ; Princely Count of Henneberg ; Count of Mark , of Ravensberg , of Hohenstein , Tecklenburg and Lingen , of Mansfeld , Sigmaringen and Veringen; Lord of Frankfurt . His Imperial and Royal Majesty Frederick III, By

645-606: The Colonial Department with the Schutztruppe command was set up as the independent Imperial Colonial Office ( Reichskolonialamt ) agency directly answerable to the Chancellor of Germany . In 1896 a central Schutztruppe command ( Kommando der Schutztruppen ) was established as part of the Colonial Department. Despite its name, this agency exercised no military leadership but served as an administrative authority. It

688-729: The German Nation" from 1512. Following the revolution of 1918 , the head of state was the president of the Reich ( German : Reichspräsident ), beginning with Friedrich Ebert . In the wake of the revolutions of 1848 and during the German Empire (1848–1849) , King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia was offered the title "Emperor of the Germans" ( German : Kaiser der Deutschen ) by the Frankfurt Parliament in 1849, but declined it as "not

731-461: The Germans", as had been proposed at the Frankfurt Parliament in 1849, was ruled out by Wilhelm as he considered himself a king who ruled by divine right and chosen " By the Grace of God ", not by the people in a popular monarchy . But more in general, Wilhelm was unhappy about a crown that looked artificial (like Napoléon's), having been created by a constitution. He was afraid that it would overshadow

774-548: The Grace of God , German Emperor and King of Prussia ; Margrave of Brandenburg , Burgrave of Nuremberg , Count of Hohenzollern ; sovereign and supreme Duke of Silesia and of the County of Glatz ; Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen ; Duke of Saxony , of Westphalia , of Angria , of Pomerania , Lunenburg , Holstein and Schleswig , of Magdeburg , of Bremen , of Guelders , Cleves , Jülich and Berg , Duke of

817-520: The Grace of God, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Hohenzollern, Duke of Silesia and of the County of Glatz, Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen, Duke of Saxony, of Angria, of Westphalia, of Pomerania and of Lunenburg, Duke of Schleswig, of Holstein and of Crossen, Duke of Magdeburg, of Bremen, of Guelderland and of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, Duke of

860-417: The Grace of God, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Hohenzollern, Duke of Silesia and of the County of Glatz, Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen, Duke of Saxony, of Angria, of Westphalia, of Pomerania and of Lunenburg, Duke of Schleswig, of Holstein and of Crossen, Duke of Magdeburg, of Bremen, of Guelderland and of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, Duke of

903-607: The Parliament's to give". Friedrich Wilhelm believed that only the German princes had the right to make such an offer, in accordance with the traditions of the Holy Roman Empire . The title was carefully chosen by Otto von Bismarck , Minister President of Prussia and Chancellor of the North German Confederation , after discussion which continued until the proclamation of King Wilhelm I of Prussia as emperor at

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946-584: The Prussian crown. Since 1867, the presidency ( Bundespräsidium ) of the North German Confederation had been a hereditary office of the kings of Prussia. The new constitution of 1 January 1871, following Reichstag and Bundesrat decisions on 9/10 December, transformed the North German Confederation ( German : Norddeutscher Bund ) into the German Empire ( German : Deutsches Reich ). This empire

989-566: The Southwest African forces was as follows: German Southwest Africa Command at Windhuk (modern Windhoek) consisted of headquarters, administration and legal (judge advocate), medical corps, surveying and mapping units. Northern district command: Windhuk Southern district command: Keetmanshoop At the outbreak of the war the force had a total strength of 91 officers, 22 physicians, 9 veterinarians, 59 civilian administrators, ammunition technicians, 342 NCOs and 1,444 German other ranks for

1032-770: The Wends and the Kashubians, of Lauenburg and of Mecklenburg, Landgrave of Hesse and in Thuringia, Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia, Prince of Orange, of Rugen, of East Friesland, of Paderborn and of Pyrmont, Prince of Halberstadt, of Münster, of Minden, of Osnabrück, of Hildesheim, of Verden, of Kammin, of Fulda, of Nassau and of Moers, Princely Count of Henneberg, Count of the Mark, of Ravensberg, of Hohenstein, of Tecklenburg and of Lingen, Count of Mansfeld, of Sigmaringen and of Veringen, Lord of Frankfurt. His Imperial and Royal Majesty Wilhelm II, By

1075-660: The act of 9 June 1895. Schutztruppe formations under the supreme command of the German Emperor were organizationally never a part of the Imperial German Army , though German military law and discipline applied to its units. Initially supervised by the Imperial Navy Office , they were under the authority of the Colonial Department in the German Foreign Office by the act of 7 and 18 July 1896. In 1907

1118-526: The armistice in November 1918. A pre-war company consisted of 160 (expandable to 200) men in three platoons ( Züge ) of 50 to 60 men each, including two machine-gun teams. Each of the 14 companies also had a minimum 250 man carrier contingent as well as native irregulars known as Ruga-Ruga , called Fita-Fita in German Samoa, of approximately the same size units. The Dar es Salaam garrison further included

1161-574: The capital Dar es Salaam . Including carriers and labourers, the force had about 14,000 personnel. On 13 April 1914, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck assumed command in German East Africa. He led his units throughout the First World War, eventually being promoted to Generalmajor . The Schutztruppe in East Africa became the last German formation to surrender – days after

1204-548: The colony, was mounted on imported camels. A single unit, called the Baster Company, consisting of non-local biracial white European-black Africans, was raised and deployed. Relations between the German administration and the natives in this colony had deteriorated to the point that few local Africans were recruited. Some Boers and Afrikaners were able to be recruited, bolstering the fledgling force. The colonial forces for German Southwest Africa consisted of volunteers from

1247-422: The imperial army and navy (including some Austrians ) but essentially consisted of members of German regiments. Before their deployment to Africa these troops were prepared for their special tasks and future environment. Such a training base was at Karlsruhe . Because of the often humid conditions in the upper Rhine valley of the grand-duchy of Baden, the area provided some early acclimatisation. The structure of

1290-426: The only all-German unit with permanent status in an overseas protectorate. The name of the German colonial force dates back to the parlance of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck , who had the term Schutzgebiete , " protectorates ", used instead of colonies . Schutztruppe contingents arose from local police forces or private paramilitary units, where German colonizers met with stronger resistance. When in 1888

1333-459: The permanent presidency of the king of Prussia. Thus, the imperial crown was directly tied to the Prussian crown—something Wilhelm II discovered in the aftermath of World War I. He erroneously believed that he ruled the empire in personal union with Prussia. With the war's end, he conceded that he could not remain emperor, but initially thought he could at least retain his Prussian crown. However, his last chancellor, Prince Max of Baden , knew this

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1376-427: The socio-economic ventures of soppo women as well as their wellbeing. Great soppo is multiracial in nature with lots of socio-cultural activities such as traditional wrestling (wészùå), fatal end of year football games, life celebrations and more. An imperative characteristic of Great soppo comprises the enormous royal ménage where sovereignty lives. Esembe Muaka Môkake a soppo developmental economist hypothesized that “It

1419-580: The special position of the Schutztruppe as an independent part of the Reichsheer. The uniforms corresponded to the cut of the Prussian Army, initially in grey but later in " field gray " for home service ("Tuchuniform"/"Tuchrock") or khaki ("Feldrock") for the tropics. Schutztruppen in Southwest Africa could wear the home service uniform in the protectorate. A khaki service dress was worn by all ranks while

1462-495: The trousers seam, the tunic fly, collar edge, plus NCO's wore red, later brown, chevrons on the left sleeve only. The rank insignia of Africans differed by one chevron from German ranks (eg. a German Gefreiter wore no chevrons, an African wore one, a German Unteroffizier wore one chevron, and African wore two etc). Despite them having nominally similar ranks, European NCOs always outranked Native NCOs. German/European Ranks: Standard Imperial Army collar and or shoulder rank insignia

1505-473: The war dragged on. Numerous other small detachments were also formed. Several, possibly four, Reserve Kompagnien were also raised consisting of older Askari , they were prefixed by the letter "R". The Schutztruppe in German Southwest Africa was structured in 12 companies of mounted infantry totalling 1,500 men, primarily Germans. The 7th Company, stationed in the northern desert area of

1548-412: Was a federal monarchy ; the emperor was head of state and president of the federated monarchs (the kings of Bavaria , Württemberg , Saxony , the grand dukes of Baden , Mecklenburg-Schwerin , Hesse , among others, as well as the principalities, duchies and of the free cities of Hamburg , Lübeck and Bremen ). Under the imperial constitution, the empire was a federation of states under

1591-562: Was legally impossible, and in order to keep control of the growing revolutionary movement in Berlin, unilaterally announced Wilhelm's abdication of both thrones on 9 November, two days before the Armistice. Wilhelm realized his situation was untenable when the army made clear it would not defend his throne. Accepting the fait accompli, Wilhelm went into exile in the Netherlands later that night. It

1634-613: Was located at Berlin’s Mauerstrasse, in proximity to the Colonial Office. At the beginning of the First World War in 1914, there were three Schutztruppe military commands, one in each of the German colonial regions in East Africa, South-West Africa, and in Kamerun, subordinate to each governor. At the outbreak of the First World War, the Schutztruppe in German East Africa was organised into 14 field companies ( Feldkompanien ) with 2,500 men under arms, with headquarters at

1677-471: Was not until 28 November that Wilhelm formally acknowledged he had lost both of his crowns for good and gave up all claims to "the throne of Prussia and to the German imperial throne connected therewith." The German Emperors had an extensive list of titles and claims that reflected the geographic expanse and diversity of the lands ruled by the House of Hohenzollern . His Imperial and Royal Majesty Wilhelm I, By

1720-436: Was reintegrated into the Schutztruppe as soon as war erupted. During the First World War, companies numbered 15 through 30 were added, plus eight (A through G, and L) temporary companies; and 1st through 10th Schützenkompagnies [rifle companies]. The Schützenkompagnies were originally composed of white settlers, their sons, plantations administrators and trading company employees but some units became racially mixed as

1763-443: Was the official title of the head of state and hereditary ruler of the German Empire . A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the abdication of Wilhelm II was announced on 9 November 1918. The Holy Roman Emperor is sometimes also called "German Emperor" when the historical context is clear, as derived from the Holy Roman Empire 's official name of "Holy Roman Empire of

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1806-480: Was worn by German/European Officers and men. Many of the original East African Askaris were Sudanese therefore the East African Schutztruppen utilized existing Turkish rank titles. The following ranks existed for East African other ranks: German language sites: German Emperor The German Emperor ( German : Deutscher Kaiser , pronounced [ˈdɔʏtʃɐ ˈkaɪzɐ] )

1849-406: Was worn on the folded brim of the Schutztruppenhut, a black, white and red cord could be worn around the tropical helmet (Tropenhelm), and black, white and red intertwined shoulder straps were worn on both tunic shoulders. Schutztruppe Askaris wore a pocketless cotton khaki tunic and breeches with blue puttees and ankle boots, which replaced bare lower legs and feet. African personnel also wore

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