In August 1914, during the early phases of the First World War, Lettow-Vorbeck was the commander of a small military garrison of just 2,600 German nationals and 2,472 African soldiers in fourteen Askari field companies.
== La prima guerra mondiale ==Nel 1914, von Lettow-Vorbeck fu nominato comandante del piccolo contingente composto da 3.000 soldati e dodici compagnie di ascari nell’Africa Orientale Tedesca (l’attuale Tanzania).