Naulila
Encyclopedia
Naulila is a town in Cunene Province in southern Angola
, located on the Cunene River
which separates Angola and Namibia
.
Naulila was the scene of fighting between Portuguese Angola
and German South West Africa during the early stages of World War I
. On October 19, 1914, a German military column crossed the border and entered Angola without authorization from the Portuguese authorities. The column was intercepted by Portuguese forces and conducted to Fort Naulila. At Naulila, a dispute occurred between the Portuguese and the Germans which resulted in the death of three German officers.
On October 31, the Germans under the command of Oswald Ostermann retaliated, and raided the Portuguese fort at Cuangar
, destroying the fort and killing all stationed border guards with machine-guns. This was later referred to as the "Cuangar Massacre". On December 18–19, Victor Franke
led a successful retaliatory attack, defeating the Portuguese at Naulila.
Today, in the town of Outjo
, Namibia, there is a monument and a cemetery commemorating German losses in the incidents at Naulila in 1914.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, located on the Cunene River
Cunene River
The Cunene River or Kunene River is a river in Southern Africa. It flows from the Angola highlands south to the border with Namibia. It then flows west along the border until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region. It is about long, with a drainage...
which separates Angola and Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
.
Naulila was the scene of fighting between Portuguese Angola
Angola (Portugal)
Angola is the common name by which the Portuguese colony in southwestern Africa was known across different periods of time...
and German South West Africa during the early stages of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On October 19, 1914, a German military column crossed the border and entered Angola without authorization from the Portuguese authorities. The column was intercepted by Portuguese forces and conducted to Fort Naulila. At Naulila, a dispute occurred between the Portuguese and the Germans which resulted in the death of three German officers.
On October 31, the Germans under the command of Oswald Ostermann retaliated, and raided the Portuguese fort at Cuangar
Cuangar
Cuangar is a town and municipality in Cuando Cubango Province in Angola. The town lies on the Okavango River, opposite the town of Nkurenkuru, Namibia....
, destroying the fort and killing all stationed border guards with machine-guns. This was later referred to as the "Cuangar Massacre". On December 18–19, Victor Franke
Victor Franke
Erich Victor Carl August Franke was a German military officer and last commander of the Schutztruppe in German Southwest Africa....
led a successful retaliatory attack, defeating the Portuguese at Naulila.
Today, in the town of Outjo
Outjo
Outjo is a city of 6,000 inhabitants in the Kunene Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of Outjo Constituency...
, Namibia, there is a monument and a cemetery commemorating German losses in the incidents at Naulila in 1914.