been lowered on all her former island possessions in the Pacific.
Togoland, a wedge-shaped territory on the north shore of the great Gulf of Guinea, comprising an area of 33,000 square miles, was attacked by joint French and British forces, and after inconsiderable fighting, that scarcely rose to the dignity of outpost skirmishes, was occupied on Aug. 26, 1914.
The conquest of Cameroon—or Kamerun, as the Germans call it—was attended with more difficulty. The territory was twice as large as Great Britain, much of it mountainous and thickly covered with jungle. Vigorous preparations for defense had been made for months, and there were comparatively large forces of German soldiers, supported by much larger numbers of native troops, thoroughly equipped, under the command of German officers. Trenches and barbed-wire entanglements had been prepared on an extensive scale.
The colony was in a vulnerable position, having British colonies to the northwest and French on the east and south, while the seacoast was at the mercy of the Allied fleets. The Entente plan of campaign was based on these geographical conditions, and sought to drive the German forces toward the center by attacking from the circumference.
In the early part of January, 1915, a junction was effected between a French North Cameroon column under Colonel Brisset and a British force sent from Yola in British Nigeria, under Major Webb-Bowen. In April, the command of the Allied forces, which then numbered 900 men, was taken over by Colonel Cunliffe, and an investment began of the German fortress of Garua. The siege was pressed until June 10, when the garrison under Captain von Krailsheim surrendered unconditionally. The Allied forces, at the end of June, advanced to N'Gaundere, but found that it had been evacuated. On Aug. 11, Kounde was reached by a French force under Captain Jean Ferrandi. An operation was directed against Yoko from Tibati in connection with a column that was being led by Cunliffe from Kontcha. On Nov. 16 a movement was undertaken against strong German positions on Mount Banyo, while on the east two columns, setting out from Bertua and Dume, marched against Tina. The plan was for these forces to converge on Yaunde, the last remaining German stronghold in the territory. The objective was obtained, all resistance proving ineffectual. The remnant of the German forces took refuge in the Spanish Kongo, where they were interned by the Spanish authorities and the conquest of the Cameroon colony was complete.
The campaign in German Southwest Africa began on Sept. 27, when troops of the Union of South Africa invaded the colony. Walfisch Bay was occupied on Christmas Day of the same year, and on Jan. 14 following, Swakopmund was taken. Determined stands were made by the German forces at Tretskopje and Otjimbingwe, but the Germans were scattered and the advance continued. Karibib was occupied on May 5 and Windhoek on May 12. The capture of the latter place was important, as 3,000 Europeans and 12,000 natives were taken prisoners. A valuable wireless station, which had been able to keep in touch with Berlin, was also captured, as well as a large amount of rolling stock. Aus had been taken on April 1 by the force of General Smuts, and this force joined hands with another at Keetmanshoop. The combined columns pushed on in the direction of Gibeon, where a pitched battle was fought, and to Kabus, where they again encountered stubborn but unavailing opposition. After the fall of Windhoek, the campaign degenerated into guerrilla warfare carried on by the Germans from the hills to which they had retreated. By rapid marches and remarkable persistence this last vestige of opposition was subdued, and on July 9 the German Governor Seitz surrendered to the British all the German forces in Southwest Africa, thus bringing the campaign to an end. The Allied strategy had been dictated by General Botha, whose military fame was greatly augmented by his success. The conquered colony was half again as large as the German Empire.
Much more difficult and prolonged was the Allied campaign for the subjection of German East Africa. No other German dependency was so thoroughly prepared for the struggle. There were only three white German regiments, but they had as auxiliaries a well-trained and armed force of 50,000 Arab and negro soldiers, They were possessed of several hundred machine guns and over 100 Krupp 77-millimeter field pieces. The earlier phases of the war were marked by minor German successes, an Anglo-Indian attack on Tanga from the sea being repulsed and considerable British territory in the Kilimanjaro region being occupied. It was not until 18 months after the beginning of the war that the Entente forces were really prepared to begin a vigorous offensive. By that time the local forces in British East Africa, consisting chiefly of native troops, had been augmented by
