Warmatrix

Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was a general in the Imperial German army, commander of the German forces in the German East Africa campaign. His very successful guerrilla war earned him the nickname 'Lion of Africa'.
Von Lettow-Vorbeck was born in 1870 CE in Pomerania, in a family of lower nobility. He was courageous and had good stamina. He was raised for a military career and became a member of the Prussian general staff in 1898 CE. His first post was in 1900 CE in China, followed by service in Namibia and in a battalion of marines. By 1914 CE, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and was posted to Tanganyika, the later Tanzania.
Von Lettow-Vorbeck realized all too well that Africa was just a sideshow in the Great War. Berlin ordered him to maintain neutrality, but he disobeyed, sidelined the governor and fought the British in the battle of Tanga, outnumbered 7:1, and won. Victory obtained him modern rifles and supplies, though he lost many experienced soldiers.
Realizing that he had to adapt to the reality of the situation, he recruited many African askari, increasing his force to some 14,000 men plus many more porters. He used his fluency in Swahili, German discipline and pride of his askari to transform it into a strong army. He employed it in guerrilla warfare, harassing the British and using terrain and climate to his advantage. The army repeatedly raided into Kenya and Rhodesia, while the British fleet prevented supplies and reinforcements from reaching the Germans.
From 1916 CE onward, the British under Jan Smuts steadily stepped up efforts to defeat him, increasing their forces up to 45,000 men. Von Lettow-Vorbeck lured them deep into Africa, always keeping out of reach. But British, Belgians and Portugese forces maintained pressure and tried to encircle the guerrillas. Von Lettow-Vorbeck withdrew south into Mozambique, cut his own supply lines and turned his force into a nomadic band. He captured weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies where he could.
By 1918 CE had had risen to the rank of general. He turned back north into Rhodesia and kept on raiding past the armistice in the Great War, until the British informed him of it. He then marched his army, reduced to 150 Germans, 1,200 askari and 3,500 porters to Abercorn and disbanded it. His enemies had lost more than 10,000 men against him during the war.
After the war von Lettow-Vorbeck returned to Germany to meet a hero's welcome. He remained with the army until the Kapp Putsch and became friends with his former British enemies. He briefly opposed Adolf Hitler and suffered during World War II, though afterwards his fortunes rose again because Jan Smuts managed to secure a small pension for him. He died in 1964 CE.
Von Lettow-Vorbeck's African campaign was a skillful guerrilla enterprise, but failed its strategic goal: to draw British troops away from Europe. The real losers were the native Africans who served as porters and camp followers on both sides, plus civilians who happened to find themselves in their paths. These people suffered 100,000 - 400,000 casualties.