Survival of Trade across Lake Victoria during the First World War: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

The First World War (1914–1918) had far-reaching consequences on global and regional commercial networks. Lake Victoria, a transport and economic hub in East Africa became an area of interest between the Germs in Tanganyika and the British in East Africa (British East African protectorate and Uganda) where each power sought to disrupt the general supply and the commercial progresses of one another during the First World War. This study investigates the survival of trade across the lake amidst the hostilities and fear in the region caused by the War. Employing Economic Resilience, Informal Economy and Regional Integration Theories, this study illustrates the persistence of trade across the lake during the war period. The study holds that strategic interests of colonial powers and pre-existing trade relations sustained commerce across the lake during the war period. Local traders adjusted to wartime conditions by employing informal techniques including smuggling and barter systems. In the same vein British and German colonial officials reluctantly compromised some level of trade for sustainability of their respective economic interests.