Portuguese campaign in Mozambique (World War I)
| Portuguese campaign in Mozambique | |
|---|---|
| Part of Portuguese East Africa | |
| Result | Portuguese victory |
First Portuguese Republic
- Portuguese East Africa
British Empire
Wolfgang Weck Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Erich Müller
Pedro Massano de Amorim Eduardo Costa † João Teixeira Pinto † Eric Gore-Browne †1,477[1]
October 1916:
2,700[2]
The Portuguese campaign in Mozambique during World War I was part of the broader East African Campaign. This lasted until the collapse of German forces in East Africa in 1918.
Background
At the outbreak of World War I, the proximity of Portuguese Mozambique to German East Africa, coupled with the longstanding alliance between Portugal and Britain, placed Mozambique in a risky position. Despite Portugal maintaining a policy of neutrality, it was under pressure from Britain, its ally, to support British military efforts in Africa. This included allowing British forces to pass through Portuguese territory and, more importantly, strengthening the defenses along Mozambique's northern border.[1]
By early August 1914, tensions were rising along Mozambique's borders, particularly in the south, where a
Campaign
Attack on Maziua, 1914
The frontier posts established along the Rovuma River were very basic. The post at Maziua, situated far from the main Portuguese stronghold of
Battle of Ngomano, 1917
On 25 November at 07:00, the Portuguese garrison at
Battle of Namacurra, 1918
On July 1, 1918, the Germans entered Namacurra, three battalions supported by two British King's African Rifle companies under Colonel Gore-Browne, facing three German companies led by Captain Müller. By July 3, von Lettow had deployed his main force, pushing the Portuguese back to the Namacurra River. During the retreat, 100 men, including Gore-Browne, drowned. The fighting ended in the afternoon of July 3.[8][9][10][11]
References
- ^ a b Matias 2010, p. 33.
- ISBN 9781786735430.
- ^ Matias 2010, p. 33-34.
- ^ Matias 2010, p. 34.
- ^ Fernando Amado Couto (2014-09-08). "MAZIÚA 1914: A ENTRADA DE MOÇAMBIQUE NA I GUERRA MUNDIAL". Plataforma Macau. Archived from the original on 2019-04-17. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ Paice 2008, p. 339.
- ^ Downes 1919, p. 280.
- ^ Smith, Turner 2022, pp. 86-89.
- ^ Gaudi 2017, pp. 398-399.
- ^ Manela, Gerwarth 2014, p. 191.
- ^ Burg, Purcell 2010, p. 215.
Bibliography
- Matias, Diogo (2010). "As operações militares de manutenção do Império Português em África: Uma visão sobre as tácticas usadas na perspectiva da doutrina actual" (PDF).
- Paice, Edward (2008) [2007]. Tip & Run: The Untold Tragedy of the Great War in Africa. London: Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-7538-2349-1.
- Downes, Walter (1919). With the Nigerians in German East Africa. London: Methuen & Co. OCLC 10329057.
- David Smith, Graham Turner (2022). The East Africa Campaign 1914–18: Von Lettow-Vorbeck’s Masterpiece, Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472848925
- Gaudi, Robert (2017). African Kaiser: General Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck and the Great War in Africa, Hurst. ISBN 9781849048675
- Erez Manela, Robert Gerwarth (2014). Empires at War: 1911–1923, OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191006944
- David F. Burg, L. Edward Purcell (2010). Almanac of World War I, University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813127453