Honor, Violence, Resistance and Conscription in Colonial Cameroon During the First World War
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Soldiers of their Own: Honor, Violence, Resistance and Conscription in Colonial Cameroon during the First World War by George Ndakwena Njung A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in the University of Michigan 2016 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Rudolph (Butch) Ware III, Chair Professor Joshua Cole Associate Professor Michelle R. Moyd, Indiana University Professor Martin Murray © George Ndakwena Njung 2016 Dedication My mom, Fientih Kuoh, who never went to school; My wife, Esther; My kids, Kelsy, Michelle and George Jr. ii Acknowledgments When in the fall of 2011 I started the doctoral program in history at Michigan, I had a personal commitment and determination to finish in five years. I wanted to accomplish in reality a dream that began since 1995 when I first set foot in a university classroom for my undergraduate studies. I have met and interacted with many people along this journey, and without the support and collaboration of these individuals, my dream would be in abeyance. Of course, I can write ten pages here and still not be able to acknowledge all those individuals who are an integral part of my success story. But, the disservice of trying to acknowledge everybody and end up omitting some names is greater than the one of electing to acknowledge only a few by name. Those whose names are omitted must forgive my short memory and parsimony with words and names. To begin with, Professors Emmanuel Konde, Nicodemus Awasom, Drs Canute Ngwa, Mbu Ettangondop (deceased), wrote me outstanding references for my Ph.D. program applications. Then, Professors Nancy Hunt, Gabrielle Hetch, Rudolph (Butch) Ware, Derek Peterson, reviewed my application and exceptionally made it possible for me to gain a place at Michigan. Professor Hunt’s African History research seminar course jumpstarted my research at Michigan. In the course of the program, Professor Peterson particularly inspired me. My first historiographic paper was in his course. His liberalism in class discussions, but above all his ‘over expectations’ had a terrific impact on my zeal and determination to succeed. His input on my grant proposal in the fall of 2014 helped shape new ways and directions in which I began to iii conceive of my project. My thinking has been greatly influenced by his cutting-edge scholarship and tutorship. I am truly thankful to him. I am grateful to all other wonderful Professors who taught me at Michigan. They include Professors; Mrinalini Sinha, Kathleen Canning, Anne Pitcher and Fernando Arenas. I learned a lot from the all-inclusive level 600 History course taught by Professors Sinha and Canning, which broadened my knowledge on a wide range of historical concepts and methods across the globe. That knowledge became crucial to how I was able to frame my dissertation. My dissertation committee was phenomenal. Professor Josh Cole first caught my respect through his scholarship on colonial violence; he made me see the theme beyond my nose. My discussions with him before my induction into candidacy were as challenging as they were productive. Professor Martin Murray, the cognate member of my committee, first took a genuine interest in me during one of his courses on African studies which I took in the winter of 2012. I am very thankful to him, for the confidence he had in me and for all the ways in which he has inspired me towards success. Although I trusted that Professor Michelle Moyd with a phenomenal scholarship on the askari in East Africa was going to accept to serve as an external member of my committee, the alacrity and grace with which she did so were astonishing. She went on to play a vital role in the realization of this dissertation. I am grateful for all her time and patience with which she went through my dissertation chapters and made invaluable comments and suggestions. Without such input, the dissertation would not be in its present shape. Professor Ware, chair of my committee, told me from the start that he wanted me to write a good dissertation and end up with a good job. Let me hope that the first part of this assignment has been fulfilled, and that the last part will come soon. I learned a lot from his iv mentorship, trust and unwavering confidence in me. I cannot thank him enough. Specifically, as I was writing my chapters, and each time I met him for a discussion, even if it lasted only ten minutes, I always walked away with things to add, change or subtract from an ongoing chapter. I always found myself having to enhance the quality of an idea or argument, to modify some statements and phrases on the work. Besides his direct mentorship, his exemplary scholarship on Islamic ways of knowing in sub-Saharan Africa has been an inspiration to me in enormous ways. Through their critically constructive minds, inputs and interjections during class discussions and workshopping of seminar course papers and grants many of which have factored into this dissertation, my African history classmates formed an integral part of my success at Michigan. They included; Ben Machava, Doreen Kembabazi, Sara Katz, Emma Park, Robyn D’Avignon, Jonathan Shaw, to name but these. The staff of the archives in the UK, France, Nigeria and Cameroon were very cooperative and must be seen to have contributed mightily to the success of this work. My research assistant, Joseph Oyodokun in Nigeria, was outstanding. For over three years, his duties extended from a collection of archival data for me from the various Nigerian archives in Ibadan and Enugu to ensuring my maximum safety and security in the country. His energetic and concerned wife, Tope, was key to making my life worth it in Nigeria. We built human relations outside the paid academic services, and today, we are more than family. All the staff of the Department of History, and notably Kathleen King, Lorna Altstter and Diana Y. Denney were the most helpful. Their dutiful commitment to making graduate student life at the department successful is relentless. I benefitted tremendously from their willingness and commitment to address students’ problems and help them succeed.To that, I am very grateful. v I must admit that without the masterful assistance of the staff of scholarspace at the Hatcher Graduate Library, this dissertation would still be in separate chapters. They helped me combine the chapters into a dissertation and directed me on all formatting issues, which on account of my most amateurish knowledge on Microsoft word, sounded to me almost like rocket science. Financially, several bodies at the University funded my research in the United Kingdom, France, Nigeria and Cameroon spanning from the summer of 2012 through spring 2016. The funding bodies included: the Center for African Studies, Department of History, and the Rackham Graduate School. Without the funding – for which Im very grateful - there would be no dissertation. I am also grateful to my childhood friend, Dr. Confidence Ngam (of the University of Bamenda, Cameroon), for his insightful suggestions and comments in the earlier drafts of my chapter, and for reading through the finished dissertation and post editing it. I intentionally decided that the last names to appear here will be those of family, as there is an African saying that he who ‘laughs last laughs best.’ My brother Cyrus Njung in Canada, his wife, Mercy, and their lovely kids, Sheridan, Maya and Cyrus Jr., were very supportive. Cyrus showed concern and provided me with all encouragement needed to push on. He worried about my safety each time I was off to Nigeria doing research. Most importantly, my kids, Kelsy (13 years), Michelle (5 years), and George Jr (4 years), think that ‘daddy doesn’t seem to have a life because he’s always reading and writing. When he is not, he’s away in some far away countries looking for archives.’ My only truly consolation in all those moments that my kids were deprived by either my long absences from home or my too much consummation with studies is that I have done this for them. Esther, my wife, has been vi with me through thick and thin. I feel so sorry that I had to ‘abandon’ her with our six weeks old tender baby (George Jr) in April 2012 for four months, doing research work in Africa. And she would go on to single handed take care of the kids during my numerous absences while away in either Europe or Africa doing research. I must confess that without her, I would never have succeeded in this program. Esther provided me emotional and inspirational support which I needed to go controversial and challenging issues at the course level long before I got to the dissertation stage. When I was disappointed or frustrated after a class session, when I thought things were not going my way, when I was dissatisfied and unhappy with an encounter with any of my professors, she was always there for me. In her usual calmness, she would assure me that “everything will be alright.” Esther, you were always right. Everything now is alright. This work has been deservedly dedicated to you and the kids, and your mother-in-law. Thank you. vii Table of Contents Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ iii List of Figures ..............................................................................................................................