Back Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Afrikaans بول فون ليتو فوربيك Arabic بول فون ليتو فوربيك ARZ Паўль фон Летаў-Форбек Byelorussian Паўль фон Летаў-Форбэк BE-X-OLD Паул фон Летов-Форбек Bulgarian Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Catalan Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Czech Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Danish Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck German
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck | |
|---|---|
 Lettow-Vorbeck in 1914 | |
| Nickname(s) | Der Löwe von Afrika The Lion of Africa |
| Born | 20 March 1870 Saarlouis, Rhine Province, Prussia |
| Died | 9 March 1964 (aged 93) Hamburg, West Germany |
| Allegiance |  German Empire (1890–1918) Weimar Republic (1918–20) |
| Service |  Imperial German Army
 Reichsheer |
| Years of service | 1890–1920 |
| Rank | General der Infanterie |
| Unit | 4th Foot Guards Schutztruppe of German South-West Africa XI Corps |
| Commands | 2nd Sea Battalion Schutztruppe of German East Africa |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves |
| Other work | Public speaker, writer |
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20 March 1870 – 9 March 1964), popularly known as the Lion of Africa (German: Löwe von Afrika), was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of its forces in the German East Africa campaign. For four years, with a force of about 14,000 (3,000 Germans and 11,000 Africans), he held in check a much larger force of 300,000 British, Indian, Belgian, and Portuguese troops.[1] He is known for never being defeated or captured in battle.[1][2][3]
Lettow-Vorbeck was the only German commander to successfully invade a part of the British Empire during the First World War. His exploits in the campaign have been described by historian Edwin Palmer Hoyt as "the greatest single guerrilla operation in history, and the most successful".[4]
- ^ a b "Gen. von Lettow-Vorbeck Dead; World War I Guerrilla Leader". The New York Times. 10 March 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ Stratis, John C. (2002). "A Case Study in Leadership - Colonel Paul Emil Von Lettow-Vorbeck". Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Crowson, Thomas A. (2003). When Elephants Clash: A Critical Analysis of Major General Paul Emil Von Lettow-Vorbeck in the East African Theater of the Great War (Master's thesis). Defense Technical Information Center.
- ^ Hoyt, Edwin P. (1981). Guerilla: Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck and Germany's East African Empire. New York: Macmillan. p. 229.