South West Africa campaign | |||||||||
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Part of African theatre of World War I | |||||||||
![]() The South West Africa campaign in 1915 | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
![]() Oukwanyama | |||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
67,000 South Africans 12,000 Portuguese |
3,000 Schutztruppe 7,000 German militia & settlers 12,000 Boer commandos | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Union of South Africa:
Portuguese Angola:
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German South West Africa:
South African Republic:
Ovambo
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The South West Africa campaign was the conquest and occupation of German South West Africa by forces from the Union of South Africa acting on behalf of the British imperial government at the beginning of the First World War. The South African Prime Minister Louis Botha took the unusual move of directly leading his troops into battle as commander-in-chief, to the frustration of his cabinet.[4]