As far as Great Britain is concerned, World War One began on the fourth of August 1914. Though hostilities had already begun between other major powers, Britain had waited until Germany invaded neutral Belgium before being drawn into the conflict. Within hours the war machine of the world's most powerful Empire rolled into action. Whilst the history and horror of the Great War is well known with the first industrial war changing our notion of battle forever, the first shots fired by British forces reveal just how innocent Europe was in those first few weeks.
The first shots of a world at war
Commander Rhoades was the naval officer in charge of the gunboat 'Gwendolen' a small British vessel, stationed in Mangochi on Lake Nyasa, now modern day Lake Malawi. Most of Lake Nyasa was British, but the north eastern shore-line bordered German East Africa, now modern day Tanzania. Commander Rhoades' German counterpart commanded the 'Herman von Wissman', another small cruiser, dedicated to the defense of these disputed waters.
In the way of Empire, both men knew each other well and were firm friends. According to legend they often took turns visiting each other for tea and no doubt a fraternal game of Bridge followed by Scotch and cigars. In this most distant outpost of Imperial ambition, there was no need for posturing. Let the politicians get on with that stuff in their ivory towers so many thousand miles away.
The Declaration of World War One
With the outbreak of war, however, both men knew their duty lay with King and Country. It took ten days for news of the declaration of war to reach Mangochi, and with it Commander Rhoades received orders to destroy the "Herman von Wissman". The German Commander had not received any orders and indeed was still unaware that the war had even begun. Imagine his shock, when on the morning of the 13th of August 1914, his vessel came under fire from his British comrade.
Again, according to legend, he ran onto the dock, where his now disabled ship wallowed in the shallow waters and, once the "Gwendolen" had come close enough, berated Rhoades for his actions. Rhoades apologized and then informed him that war had been declared. It is extremely easy to imagine the polished, stiff-lipped tones of Rhoades echoing across the water, "Awfully sorry old man, but, you see, we're at war don't you know?".
The last rites of Empire
Eight days later, at the town of Mons in France, troops of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) had their first proper encounter with the massed armies of Imperial Germany and the war began in earnest. But the first shots fired on Lake Nyasa give us a glimpse of the world that was about to fade, replaced by the implacable, remorseless 20th Century. A world where even after battle there were no hard feelings, a world of mannered decorum, of chivalric patriotism. A world where gentlemen could be good chaps and the world could be sorted out over a Brandy.
The coming war, in it's awesome brutality, would strip away such high minded pretension and replace it with cynicism and hatred, but these first shots of World War One reveal the valor and pathos, the absurdity and the glory of society's expectations in that time; and perhaps also allow us a glimpse of understanding just why the elites of every major power truly believed the tragic received wisdom, that the war would indeed be 'over by Christmas'. No-one died on the waters of Lake Nyasa, but that heralded the end of the romantic notion of war.
sources: Zambia's War Wrecks accessed on 25th October 2010
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