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Salisbury, 92.€.
1.s.2.
Copyright ©) 1978
DOCUMENTARY PUBLICATIONS
Route 12, Box 480
Salisbury, N.C. U.S.A.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 0-89712-076-0
INTRODUCTION
Very little serious research has been undertaken to date into the extensive
National Socialist efforts begun as early as 1933 to extend Nazi influence into
Germany's lost African colonial empire. Yet, almost from the first months of Hitler's
coming to power, both the leaders and various agencies of the Third Reich began a
determined effort to politicize their onetime African colonies. This was particularly
true for Southwest Africa and Tanganyika, where many thousands of settlers of
German descent retained dose economic and social ties with the fatherland, continued
to speak German, and regarded the administration of these regions under League of
Nations mandate as only a temporary condition.
The Nazi effort aimed at its former African colonial empire had two
objectives: first, to re-establish firm political, social and economic ties with the German
settlers which had been broken with the loss of the African colonies after World War
I; and, secondly, to exert increasing political and economic pressure with an aim
towards forcing the League of Nations to end the mandates, thereby returning these
colonies to Germany.
The fifty documents contained in this collection contain the most important
materials from secret United States diplomatic files concerning the Nazi efforts to
regain its lost African dominions. The materials cover the period from the first year
of National Socialist Germany in 1933, to the year 1939, when relations between
Germany and the mandate powers had so deteriorated as to end all overt German
political and propaganda efforts in the African mandated territories.
Admittedly, the documents contained here give only one view of events as
they transpired - that is, materials gathered by diplomats of one neutral nation: the
United States. For the complete picture one must consider source materials from the
archives of the mandate powers charged with administration of Germany's former
African colonies, and from the secret records of the Third Reich itself.
The Nazis in Africa
11
The official files of the mandate powers concerning the administration of
Southwest Africa and Tanganyika have not been made available to scholars. Neither
the Government of the Union of South Africa (for Southwest Africa) nor Great
Britain (for Tanganyika) have as yet opened their secret files to either scholars or the
public. And their policies as regards official archives materials are such that there
appears to be little possibility of public access in the immediate years ahead.
The files of the various government agencies of the Third Reich, on the other
hand, have been available in the United States since their capture by U. S. forces at
the end of World War ll. While the original documents have long since been returned
to Germany, a complete microfilm set of these materials is available in the German
Records Center at Alexandria, Virginia.
Unfortunately, specific papers relating to Germany's former African colonies
are scattered throughout the hundreds of thousands of different files, and there is no
single comprehensive index available. Accordingly, the researcher must be prepared
to devote considerable effort in the identification of specific documents of interest
from literally thousands upon thousands of others with no bearing on the topic.
The records of the Deutsches Ausland-Institut, Stuttgart, for example, may be
found on approximately 361 different microfilm rolls. Only a small percentage of
these relates to the African colonies. For example, three rolls contain legenslaufe of
historically important Germans in all overseas areas, including Africa (Serial 567, roll
349). Additionally, such files as relating to those Germans who resisted the Nazi
pressure and renounced German citizenship may be found in an entirely different
group of institute records (Serial 571-572, rolls 353-354).
There are also documents scattered in unlikely areas. The Dr. Karl Haushofer
files, as a case in point, contain many materials relating to both Southwest Africa and
Tanganyika. In Serial 36, roll 46 of this series there is an unpublished manuscript
relating to the Germans both in South and Southwest Africa, c. 1936. Then, of
course, one must rely extensively on the microfilm records of the former German
consulates in both territories, which naturally contain a wealth of rich documentation.
These materials, as well, fill over 390 rolls of microfilm at the Records Center in
Alexandria.
One regrets that there is an absence of material published here on the former
German colonies in Togo and Kamerun. These regions were excluded, not because they
lacked importance or that there was no Nazi effort made to re-exert control there, but
simply because the United States had no diplomatic or intelligence personnel reporting
from these regions during these years. A review of the captured Third Reich documents,
nonetheless, shows that the Nazis made an effort in these regions similar to, if not
quite as extensive as, that made in Southwest Africa and Tanganyika.
While the emphasis of this documentation is on Nazi efforts in former German
African colonies, considerable light has been thrown on the actions and views of the
Introduction Ill
mandate powers charged with responsibility in administering these former colonies.
In the cases of both Great Britain (Tanganyika) and the Union of South Africa
(Southwest Africa) it is quite apparent that neither considered themselves to be merely
temporary custodians of these two territories. On the contrary. the statements and
actions of both demonstrated clearly that they viewed the mandates as a license for
continued colonial rule. For Britain this meant one additional colony to be added to
its colonial empire; for the Union of South Africa, the prevailing view was more
towards total incorporation of the Southwest African territory into the Union than as
a separate colonial region. In this same vein, it is quite interesting that the black
peoples in both colonies were neither represented nor considered. Neither the Nazis,
the mandate powers, nor the League of Nations took the interests, needs or desires of
the black African population into account. The natives were, as with the land and
products of the colonies, essentially pawns in a twentieth century continuation of
nineteenth century colonial power politics.
A detailed index has been prepared at the end of this collection of documents.
The reader should find this index of convenience in locating specific topics and
materials of interest. Every effort has been made to include the most important of
U. S. intelligence and diplomatic documents in this collection. Still, the reader is
reminded again that this work docs not purport to supply the reader with the complete
picture of the power struggle in Africa in the 19 30s. It is only one side of a mirror
with many faces. It is hoped that future research in Nazi archives and, possibly, in the
records of the mandated powers, will eventually provide the complete picture of the
Nazi efforts to regain Germany's lost colonies in black Africa.
The Editor
CONTENTS
Page No.
1. Opening of Legislative Assembly of S. W. Africa. (July 25, 1933) ....-.... 1
2. Nazi Activities in South West Africa. (August 1, 1933) 3
3. Legislation Prohibiting Nazi Activities. (August 10, 1933) 7
4. German Activities in South West Africa. (December 12, 1933) ..···-···.. 9
5. Germans in South West African Assembly. (February 9, 1934) 11
6. Next Session of Assembly. (April 22, 1934) 13
7. Opening of Assembly. (May 22, 1934) 15
8. Racial Rift in South West Africa. (June 2, 1934) 18
9. Banning of Hitler Youth Movement. (July 17, 1934) 20
10. Results of General Election. (November5,1934) ..················.. 22
11. Germany's Interest in Fonner Colonies. (November 19, 1934) . . . . . . . . . . 24
12. Opening of New Assembly. (November 27, 1934) 27
13. Germany's Attitude Regarding Fonner Colonies. (December 6, 1934) 31
14. South West Africa as Fifth Province. (January 21, 1935).....·.......... 33
15. German Factions in S.W. Africa. (May 21, 1935) 35
16. Developments Affecting Germans. (April 9, 1937) 37
17. S. W. Africa and the Colonial Question. (March 23, 1938) 42
18. Agreement With Germany. (March 26, 1938) 55
19. German Activities in South West Africa. (April 19, 1938) 59
20. Agreement With Germany. (May 2, 1938) 64
21. Possible Return of Tanganyika. (May 10, 1938) 65
22. Proposed German Visit to S. W. Africa. (May 23, 1938) 67
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Page No.
23. Visit of "Strength Through Joy" Group. (May 27, 1938) ....·······... 69
24. Nazi Activities in South West Africa. (July 7, 1938) ...···········.... 70
2S. Press Reports on Nazi Activities. (July 9, 1938) • • • • • • ..72
26. German Activities in Tanganyika. Uuly 13, 1938) • 90
27. S. W. Africa Agreement With Germany. (August 17, 1938) 92
28. Press Reports on Nazi Activities. (September 3, 1938) ........••...•••. 94
29. Political Notes on Tanganyika. (October 14, 1938) 112
30. Possible Return of Tanganyika. (October 24, 1938) 119
31. Activities Against Return of Tanganyika. (November 3, 1938) ......... 123
32. Views on Tanganyika League. (November 16, 1938) 130
33. The Tanganyika League. (November 23, 1938) 133
34. Tanganyika League Conference. (February 3, 1939) ...•............. 136
35. Nazi Activities in Tanganyika. (February 8, 1939) 140
36. German Organizations in S. W. Africa. (March 18, 1939) 144
37. German Activities in Tanganyika. (March 27, 1939) 146
38. Anti-Nazi Party in S. W. Africa. (March 29, 1939) 148
39. Report on South West Africa. (April 11, 1939) 149
40. German Organizations in S. W. Africa. (April 13, 1939) 183
41. Increase in South West African Police. (April 18, 1939) 184
42. Threatened Nazi Demonstration. (April 24, 1939) 186
43. Statement of Nationalist Party Leader. (May 23, 1939). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
44. Governor's Views on Return of Tanganyika. (May 31, 1939) 190
45. . T- anganytik . a to R.emeai n Bri·t5ishh.. . (J une 8, 1939) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
VI
