A study of the history of Germany as a militaristic country.

The maintenance of German colonial rule in East Africa depended on a strong military presence. The Kaiserliche Schutztruppe fur Deutsch Ostafrika was established to meet this need, but financial and political constraints dictated that this force be manned by an African rank and file. Initially, most of the African recruits came from outside of the colony, but, as time passed, the Germans began recruiting from a few specific ethnic groups in the colony. / The relationship between the African soldiers and their German employers yielded military successes for the new colonial government and, by extension, an enhanced status for the soldiers themselves. Over time, the Africans within the Schutztruppe distanced themselves from other Africans in the colony and began to develop separate communities at the government stations, which in turn fostered the growth of an askari group identity. The interests of these communities became inextricably linked to the German presence in the region. The development of this relationship helps to explain the askaris' support of the German campaign against the British during the First World War.

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