Colonial Campaign in a Neutral-Britain WWI

Germany doesn't invade Belgium and Britain opts to try and stay out of the Great War. How do the colonial campaigns in Africa between France and Germany go?

Paul von Lettow-Voorbeck put up a strong fight OTL.
 
He's in the wrong place.

Tropical West Africa's an awful place for Europeans to fight a war, it would be hard enough just staying healthy in barracks let alone out in the bush. They didn't call it the White Man's Grave for nothing. There might be some skirmishing and the French Navy will blockade the coast but that will be about it.
 
He's in the wrong place.

Tropical West Africa's an awful place for Europeans to fight a war, it would be hard enough just staying healthy in barracks let alone out in the bush. They didn't call it the White Man's Grave for nothing. There might be some skirmishing and the French Navy will blockade the coast but that will be about it.

Would the French be able to easily march into Cameroon and Togoland? There will be fighting there no?

I imagine there would be naval skirmishes as well.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
I'm afraid there are some ... inaccuracies I would like to adress.

...
Tropical West Africa's an awful place for Europeans to fight a war,
...
Only that Cameroon sports the "wet" tropical region only in its most southern parts.
The bulk of Cameroon was and is a rather dry, savannah-like country as might be seen here.

Would the French be able to easily march into Cameroon and Togoland?
Its exactly what they did OTL so yes
Well ... exactly? ... No

In Togo as well as Cameroon the french did not invade alone but together with the Brits who - in both cases - concentrated on the most developed coastal regions first, while the french esp. in Cameroon taking different approaches.

However, without the Brits the germans in Togo would have outnumbered their french counterparts even in 'european' soldiers alone. Without having to fight a 2-front war as IOTL they would have kept the french in check for much longer, if not even counterattacked into French-Dahomey. Though I admit that France - with some time - would be able to reinforce (though questionable if they would make the effort).

Regarding the problem of a 2-front war the same would count for Cameroon : the germans now won't have to fight Brits and french. And despite the numerical superiority of the french alone in this theatre the germans managed IOTL to hold their stance until 1916 with even counterattacking several time.
Again I would asume that without the Brits the germans might inflict much more ... problem to the french than IOTL.

Also : what would happen to the SMS Königsberg ?
IOTL she was ... 'caught' in East-Africa with her task attacking the entrance of the Red Sea.
Something that might not be necessary (Britain ins't in yet) ITTL.
It that might have been used to support the german colonies against the remaining enemy on the continent France ... aka sailing to the Gulf of Guinea.

Last but not least ... without the british control of the seas the supply situation for the german colonial troops would be much better.

Therefore the french might try to invade Togo and Cameroon by themself, but would have some rather hard time with rather uncertain outcomes, at least with much longer fighting than IOTL
 

Deleted member 94680

I imagine a long, drawn out, inconclusive campaign bordering on guerrilla war that results largely in a status quo ante bellum. The situation in Africa will be resolved by the peace treaty generated by the events in Europe.
 
How large was the French fleet in 1914? Could the Germans enforce a blockade of all French ships? Obviously they can’t stop cross channel trade and stopping British ships would be bad, but can they stop the French from reinforcing colonies while reinforcing their own?
 

NoMommsen

Donor
How large was the French fleet in 1914? Could the Germans enforce a blockade of all French ships? Obviously they can’t stop cross channel trade and stopping British ships would be bad, but can they stop the French from reinforcing colonies while reinforcing their own?
You mean ... blockading the french ports on the Gulf of Guinea ?

If they direct the SMS Königsberg there ... not 'blockading but 'hindering' in playing cruiser rules against french shipping should be in the cards.

The only naval french force I see at the outbreak of the war at least near that region were the ships of the Morocco Overseas Station :
2 twenty years old protected cruisers (Friant and Du Chayla) and one heavy 10 years old armored cruiser (Gloire).

Nothing the Königsberg would be keen on going into an infight but not fast enough to catch up with it.
Question would be what the french would actually send there.

For a look in french naval forces : what about this site ? :biggrin:
 
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