A minor Anglo-French victory in Togoland in 1914 that led to the first German colonial surrender of World War I.
Key Facts
- Date
- 22 August 1914
- Campaign
- Togoland Campaign, First World War
- German defensive assets
- 3 concealed machine-guns, mines, blown bridges
- German surrender date
- 26 August 1914, at Kamina
- Post-war partition
- Western Togoland joined Ghana 1957; Togo independent 1960
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
At the outbreak of World War I, British and French colonial forces launched an invasion of German Togoland. The German Polizeitruppen withdrew to a defensive position at the village of Khra, mining approach routes, destroying bridges, and positioning three concealed machine-guns to halt the Allied advance across the Khra River.
On 22 August 1914, Anglo-French forces attacked the German defensive position at Khra. The assault was repulsed by German fire. A German counter-attack was subsequently ordered but failed to materialize when many troops refused to advance. Overnight, the Germans withdrew to Kamina, fearing encirclement and overestimating Allied strength.
After a two-day pause, the Allied advance resumed toward Kamina. On 25 August, two German envoys met the Allied force at Glei to propose terms; the British commander demanded unconditional surrender, which the Germans accepted on 26 August. Togoland was jointly administered by Britain and France for the war's duration, and was later partitioned into what became part of Ghana and the independent republic of Togo.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent