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Old 05-01-2006, 08:30   #121
mugwump
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Airbornelawyer
But overarching all of this, especially for the British of this period (and people like Smuts who were part of the British military system even though they had fought the British a few years prior), was the "theory" of martial races. Certain races were considered to be inherently better soldiers, and corollary, certain races were considered to be bad military material.
Ah, but isn't that an example of racism? Whatever its source and extent, Von Lettow didn't ascribe to it. What impressed me about Lettow (remember this is from a grand total of two books) was that he defied conventional wisdom at every turn. He performed his own recon on foot and bicycle, personally negotiated with "lowly" village councils when seeking supplies and succor, tactically zigged when he should have zagged, etc. and all while fighting under his own high interpretation of the rules of war.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Airbornelawyer
Racism probably played its role, but laying such racism all at the feet of Afrikaners seems like excuse-making. The British considered - rightly - East Africa to be a bit of a sideshow, and deployed a hodgepodge of second and third-rate units there.
I seem to recall first-tier British troops being deployed at one point -- I don't have the books at hand -- and I've seen 250,000 bandied about as the number of troops he tied up. Sideshow or not, shipping, supplies, men and planning resources were all expended in the attempt to keep him in check.
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Old 05-01-2006, 09:30   #122
Airbornelawyer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mugwump
Ah, but isn't that an example of racism? Whatever its source and extent, Von Lettow didn't ascribe to it. What impressed me about Lettow (remember this is from a grand total of two books) was that he defied conventional wisdom at every turn. He performed his own recon on foot and bicycle, personally negotiated with "lowly" village councils when seeking supplies and succor, tactically zigged when he should have zagged, etc. and all while fighting under his own high interpretation of the rules of war.
Of course it is. As noted, my point is tarring Afrikaners as if they were uniquely racist seems to fit apartheid-era conventional wisdom but misses the general attitude of the day. Whether von Lettow-Vorbeck was immune to that is a discussion for another day; alot of the literature on him approaches the hagiographic.
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Originally Posted by mugwump
I seem to recall first-tier British troops being deployed at one point -- I don't have the books at hand -- and I've seen 250,000 bandied about as the number of troops he tied up. Sideshow or not, shipping, supplies, men and planning resources were all expended in the attempt to keep him in check.
The total number seems to include porters and other NCs. I don't know of a complete OB, and of course the units involved changed over time, but below are infantry and cavalry units I know were involved at various times.

1st Battalion, The King's African Rifles
2nd Battalion, The King's African Rifles
4th Battalion, The King's African Rifles
25th (Frontiersmen) Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers
2nd Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
3rd Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners
1st Battalion, Cape Corps
2nd Battalion, Cape Corps
1st Rhodesia Regiment
2nd Rhodesia Regiment
Northern Rhodesia Police
The Gambia Regiment
Gold Coast Regiment
The Nigeria Regiment, West African Frontier Force
The West India Regiment
101st Grenadiers
63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry
98th Infantry
13th Rajputs
2nd Kashmir Rifles
3rd Kashmir Rifles
2nd Gwalior Rifles
5th South African Infantry
6th South African Infantry
7th South African Infantry
8th South African Infantry
9th South African Infantry
10th South African Infantry
11th South African Infantry
12th South African Infantry
1st South African Horse
2nd South African Horse
3rd South African Horse
4th South African Horse
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Old 05-01-2006, 09:42   #123
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I didn't tar the Afrikaners AL, they tarred themselves according to the author. Especially Smuts.

Do you think they changed materially in the 70 or so years between the two time frames we are discussing?

The english didn't fair well with Lettow because of his ability and their faults. As is generally the case. How much of one and little of the other no doubt depends on one's point of view.
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Old 02-12-2007, 01:40   #124
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I always thought Jed Eckert was the best insurgent leader.
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Old 02-12-2007, 03:09   #125
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Gaius Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar with his 13th Legion after their campaigning in Gaul, their march back to Rome. I know most don’t think of it a an insurgency.. but.

Caesar brings with him; his 13th legions of battle-hardened, loyal men looking for unimaginable riches in slaves, gold and plunder, and a populist agenda for radical social change for Rome’s future. The aristocracy is terrified, and threatens to prosecute him for war crimes if he enters Rome. He then begans a fast and quick insurgency with his legion and the people of Rome.
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Old 02-12-2007, 08:00   #126
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What about Cecil Rhodes? Although backed by the British Army, he was unconventional in his approach to military/economic domination of a good portion of the African Continent.
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