ASKARI INFANTRY

The Ascarys are defined as the indigenous soldiers who were part of the European colonial forces serving in Africa - especially in its central and north-eastern part - in the nineteenth century and, to a lesser extent, the twentieth century. Ascarias served in the armies of several colonial powers, including the Belgian, British, Italian and German armies. The latter were part of the German troops serving in the African colonies known as Schutztruppen. The first Askaris units entered German service in the 1880s. It is worth adding that they underwent very strict training and were subject to strict discipline, but they were well paid and had a high combat value. Most often they were formed into units called Feldkompanie, ranging from 150 to 200 people. In such a unit, practically all privates were Askaris, and only the officers and non-commissioned officers were composed of Germans. These troops went down in the history of World War I, due to the resistance they put up against the more numerous Belgian, British and Portuguese troops in German East Africa in the period 1914-1918. It is worth adding that their commander was a general Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck.