The African Queen

The African Queen is a 1951 movie. The film was adapted by James Agee, John Huston and Peter Viertel from the 1935 novel by C.S. Forester. It was directed by Huston and photographed in Technicolor by Jack Cardiff. It starred Humphrey Bogart (who won the Academy Award for Best Actor - his only Oscar), Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley and Theodore Bikel.

Correlations between the British World War I campaign in German East Africa and The African Queen

The African Queen by C.S. Forester provides a historically fairly accurate British fictional illustration of the fierce levels of tension and competition which existed between the rival British and German Empires' colonial interests in Central Africa prior to, and through, World War I. With the conclusion of World War I, in 1918, the previously existing colonial rivalry was resolved when former German African colonies were ceded to the victorious Allied Powers, Britain and France. As a result, the British Empire was able to fulfill a long-held aspiration to fill a gap between their Central and East African colonial holdings, with the result that British territory would form an uninterrupted belt from Egypt to South Africa.

Related Topics:
British - German Empire - Colonial interests - 1918 - Britain - France - Egypt - South Africa

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That such was the case was a source of British national pride, which is to some extent reflected in the later 1935 publication of The African Queen. One purpose of the book, along with content and intent, was to serve as a veritable reminder of a situation when the British Empire overcame, at great cost, the German Empire during a time of national crisis in an obscure part of the world.

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The novel is set in 1914 German East Africa, the current day nation of Tanzania, which was surrounded, in 1914, by the overseas possessions of other European powers—British East Africa, Uganda, the Congo, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland and Mozambique (Henderson 50). The colonial frontiers of German East Africa, especially the rivers, played an important role within the overall plot of the novel. The borders of German East Africa consisted of many rivers, the Umba and Ruvuma, and lakes, Victoria and Tanganyika (Henderson 50-51). Rivers and lakes located on the western, northern, and southern borders of German East Africa, were the quintessential points where German, British, and Belgian spheres of influence and colonial interest met and conflicted. The resulting implication of nations relying on natural features as boundaries meant that there was the potential for military conflicts to occur on, or near, rivers and lakes as was depicted within The African Queen.

Related Topics:
1914 - German East Africa - Tanzania - British East Africa - Uganda - Congo - Northern Rhodesia - Nyasaland - Mozambique - Umba - Ruvuma - Victoria - Tanganyika - Belgian

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Consequently, the deployment of naval assets, such as gunboats and steamers, was entirely appropriate due to the need of colonial powers to maintain control over very remote and isolated areas of their colonies. This is particularly true where rivers and lakes are the only effective means of travel when conducting military patrols and commerce. Due to the conflict which these realities created, a colonial rivalry, the British aspiration to unite their African colonial holdings from Egypt to South Africa was effectively blocked. Thus once World War I broke out, the British would most certainly attempt to occupy this particular area very aggressively.

Related Topics:
Naval - Gunboat - Steamer - Patrol - Commerce

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Colonial rivalry in Central Africa began after the 1871 unification of German states that led to the creation of the German Empire, a rivalry intensified with the ascension of Wilhelm II, as Kaiser of Germany, in 1888. The rivalry was sustained by the situation of German East Africa, as it was at the center of their respective territorial, economic, and political interests in Central Africa. The book represents the British interests and aspirations through the occupations of the main characters. A British missionary presence, such as Rosie and Samuels, within German East Africa would certainly ruffle German pride, and would be skeptically viewed as an encroachment on German sovereignty. Charlie and his ship operating within the colonies' territorial waters, the lake and river, represent British economic interests and aspirations. Therefore, the main characters' occupations and British interests would both be viewed as a competing and conflicting foreign influence in Germany's most productive colony.

Related Topics:
1871 - Wilhelm II - Kaiser - 1888 - Sovereignty

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As World War I erupted in August and September of 1914, the Allied Powers set forth plans to occupy Germany's colonial possessions around the world. In Africa, the German colonies of Togoland, Cameroon, and German Southwest Africa were occupied quite easily due to naval blockades and logistical issues, both of which hindered the chances of German retention. However, the relative ease the Allied Powers enjoyed in the other three campaigns was not replicated in the campaign to seize German East Africa. This particular campaign was arduous for the British Army and Royal Navy, and therefore it is important to note their respective contributions during the real campaign against that which is detailed in the book.

Related Topics:
1914 - Allied Powers - Togoland - Cameroon - German Southwest Africa - Royal Navy

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German Army assets in German East Africa, under the command of General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, exacted an unexpected defeat upon the British Army at the Battle of Tanga in November 1914 (Farwell). It was from this battle that General von Lettow-Vorbeck gained a reputation as an outstanding commander whose leadership was characterized by boldness, initiative, and ingenuity (Henderson 127). It might be speculated that personality characteristic parallels exist between Rosie and General von Lettow-Vorbeck. Her patriotic feelings and need for revenge, as portrayed in the book, are due to the humiliating British defeat at the Battle of Tanga. Also, the personality characteristics of boldness, initiative, and ingenuity that she consistently displays are also equated with General von Lettow-Vorbeck's own personality, and she attempts to utilize them in order to sink the Louisa.

Related Topics:
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck - Battle of Tanga - Boldness - Initiative - Ingenuity

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As for Charlie's role and personality characteristics, his early reluctance to participate in the revenge and patriotic aspects of the plot symbolizes Britain's initial reluctance to deploy satisfactory military assets and supplies to the East African campaign. Also, Charlie's yearning to avoid contact with superior German forces is similar to von Lettow-Vorbeck's tactic of wandering around German East Africa and Northern Rhodesia, in order to avoid contact with superior British military forces (Henderson 125).

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Against all odds, the German Army in East Africa was able to hold out for the duration of the war, a total of four years. Obviously, in order to survive, General von Lettow-Vorbeck had to pilfer supplies from local sources, and also had to impress the native African population of males as supplementary soldiers. Both of these situations are presented early in the book, thus it is plausible to assume that C.S. Forester relied on accurate accounts and realistic personalities traits, in order to give The African Queen a basis rooted in fact, rather than one based upon pure speculation. An interesting side note is that General von Lettow-Vorbeck and the main characters both struggled to survive in the remote countryside of the colony.

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The historical naval component of the campaign is featured quite prominently within the book, however, it comes in the form of an Allied and German role reversal. In both circumstances, gunboats and technological obsolescence assume important roles within the conclusion of a military operation. Historically, in 1914 the three German gunboats on Lake Tanganyika were faster and better armed than the vessels at the disposal of the Allies. To remedy this situation Britain sent two motor launches to the lake, which quickly disposed of the German ships (Henderson 127). This is an apparent role reversal, which is reflected towards the conclusion of the book, because it was the Allies, in this instance the Belgians, who possessed more advanced ships that dealt the final death blow to the Louisa. According to Henderson, there was also a British vessel, the Toutou, which sank due to storm. Charlie and Rosie's vessel, The African Queen, is subjected to a storm and, subsequently, sinks while on a mission to defeat German naval ships (Henderson 127). The ending in both cases is the same; the Allies gained control over an important lake and defeated the German menace, thus notions of military dominance were realized by the Allies.

Related Topics:
Role reversal - Motor launch

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The timeframe when The African Queen was published, in 1935, plays an important role within the meaning of the story and historical events which had already occurred. It can be maintained that the book is essentially preaching for a revival, or remembrance, of the time where the Empire successfully overcame the challenges presented by World War I. This revival is being advocated during a time when the condition of Britain's national pride, economy, military, and empire were all in a state of decline or stagnation.

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Great Britain in 1935 was facing economic decline because of the Great Depression and the burden of maintaining such as large empire. Colonies had been traditionally associated with economic growth and stability, and military victories in Central Africa during World War I led to such an acquisition. It was at this same time that Germany was initiating efforts to reclaim lost military power, international influence and prestige, and economic strength. The timing of the book's publication along with a resurgent Germany was a reminder that they were still capable of being a threat, and that war was possible even if it was an unexpected long shot. When considering these aspects together, it is plausible to believe that the author, C.S. Forester, was simply warning the nation about Germany, and advocated for a resurgent, and more powerful, British Empire.

Related Topics:
Great Depression - Economic growth

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In conclusion, the historical roles of both nations are mostly reversed during the course of The African Queen. Historically positive associations, events, and personality characteristics which Germany enjoyed during the German East African campaign are applied to British or other Allied interests and persons, such as the Belgians and Rosie, while most of the negative associations are applied to German interests and people. The book served a twofold purpose. It was another attempt to banish German-British tensions and conflicts which lingered on after the conclusion of World War I. And it reminded the British of a time where they were stronger, and that they had to always remain vigilant against any potential threat, unexpected or not.

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