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Reichskommissariat Ostafrika

Reichskommissariat Ostafrika (RK-Ostafrika)

"Ordnung, Arbeit, Treue – The Eastern Gate of the Reich."

The Reichskommissariat Ostafrika is one of the major German colonial territories established in East Africa following the Axis victory in World War II. Stretching from Tanganyika and Kenya to northern Mozambique and parts of Uganda, it is administered under direct military rule and acts as a critical link between RK-Mittelafrika and the Italian colonies along the Indian Ocean.

Leadership and Government

The colony is ruled by Reichskommissar General Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg, a seasoned Wehrmacht officer known for his armored warfare expertise and harsh counterinsurgency tactics. Appointed in 1945 after the consolidation of German power in the region, Schweppenburg is tasked with transforming the colony into a strategic military and economic zone.

  • Governed through a hybrid civil-military administration with SS and Wehrmacht coordination.
  • Political authority centralized under the Ostafrikanisches Hauptverwaltungsamt (East African Central Administrative Office), based in Daressalam.
  • German settlers encouraged to colonize highlands under the Lebensraum in Afrika policy.
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Economic and Strategic Role

RK-Ostafrika is crucial to the German Empire for several reasons:

  • Natural Resources: Coffee, rubber, gold, and rare minerals vital to the Reich's war industry.
  • Ports and Naval Access: Strategic Indian Ocean control via militarized ports like Daressalam and Mombasa.
  • Rail Infrastructure: Extension of the Trans-African Axis Railway connecting with Mittelafrika and East African outposts.

Security and Resistance

The colony faces frequent uprisings from native insurgents inspired by socialist and pan-Africanist ideology. In response, Schweppenburg has:

  • Deployed SS-Kampfgruppen Afrika units for brutal counterinsurgency operations.
  • Established "pacification zones" replacing native populations with German settlers or loyalist tribes.
  • Created "labor reform camps" to detain and reeducate suspected rebels and collaborators.

Relations with Neighbors

  • RK-Mittelafrika: Tense cooperation; Ostafrika fears eventual absorption by the SS-dominated western colony.
  • Italian East Africa: Ostafrika acts as both buffer and silent rival in Ethiopia and Somalia.
  • Iberian Pact Colonies: Monitored closely, though no formal African diplomatic ties exist.

Cultural Policy and Propaganda

  • RK-Ostafrika promotes the narrative of "German order bringing light to the African frontier."
  • German is mandatory in all schools and administrative functions.
  • Youth organizations modeled on the Hitlerjugend target native children deemed "loyal."
  • Propaganda depicts Schweppenburg as the "Shield of the East" and Ostafrika as the "New German Frontier."

Current Status (1946)

While still far from pacified, RK-Ostafrika is solidifying its role as a cornerstone of German long-term imperial strategy in Africa. However, insurgencies, colonial rivalries, and growing U.S.-aligned resistance movements threaten its security. General Schweppenburg rules as both a respected commander and feared administrator in a land on the edge of rebellion.

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