I. Introduction: The Photograph’s Haunting Presence

Hook: Describe the arresting nature of the colorized photograph—the sharp contrast of the tan uniform, the white beard, and the somber, wide-brimmed slouch hat.

Context Setting: Introduce the setting—a State Ceremony in Germany on June 4, 1939, honoring Great War Veterans, just months before the outbreak of WWII.

The Enigma: Identify the subject as a veteran of the Schutztruppe (Protection Force) from Germany’s former African colonies. He is a walking anachronism; a symbol of the Second Reich’s lost dreams standing amidst the rise of the Third Reich.

Thesis Statement: This single image encapsulates the historical transition, the enduring memory of German colonialism, and the National Socialist regime’s manipulative use of colonial nostalgia to further its political aims.

II. The Uniform and the Man: Decoding the Regalia 

A. The Schutztruppe Legacy:

Explain the Schutztruppe‘s role in German East Africa, South-West Africa, Cameroon, and Togo. Discuss the often brutal nature of colonial warfare (e.g., the Herero and Namaqua Genocide).

Connect the slouch hat to its colonial origins—practical sun protection, but also a symbol of service in harsh, distant lands.

B. The Reichskolonialbund (RKB) Attire:

Detail the Reichskolonialbund (Reich Colonial League) and its function: a powerful lobby group promoting the return of Germany’s lost colonies.

Describe the specific elements of the RKB uniform (the tan color, the armbands with the RKB insignia—a white circle with a black cross). Crucially, discuss the stark visual parallel between the RKB armband and the ubiquitous swastika armband of the Nazi Party, highlighting the regime’s co-option of this colonial nostalgia.

C. The Medals and Honors:

Identify the key medals visible, particularly the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz) and other Imperial German military awards, signifying service in the Great War, likely in the African campaigns (e.g., the forgotten battle for German East Africa).

Interpret the medals: They validate his sacrifice for the Empire (Kaiserreich), which the Nazi state is now using to legitimize its concept of Greater Germany.

III. Colonial Nostalgia and Nazi Ideology

A. The “Stolen” Colonies Narrative:

Explain how the Treaty of Versailles stripped Germany of its colonies (Article 119).

Detail how the “stab-in-the-back” myth was extended to the colonial sphere, fueling public resentment and a political push for Rückgabe (return).

B. Hitler and Colonialism:

Analyze Hitler’s complex and often contradictory stance: He initially prioritized Lebensraum (living space) in the East but allowed organizations like the RKB to flourish as a popular propaganda tool to unify various right-wing factions.

The Strategic Timing: The 1939 ceremony was a deliberate attempt to project German strength and lay the psychological groundwork for future territorial demands in Europe and beyond, using the colonial past as a patriotic shield.

C. Racial Ideology Continuity:

Draw a parallel between the racial hierarchies imposed in the colonies and the escalating racial policies of the Third Reich. The brutal methods of colonial control and the inherent belief in German racial superiority provided a disturbing ideological precursor to Nazi atrocities.

IV. The Forgotten Fronts of the Great War

A. The East Africa Campaign:

Focus on the incredible resilience of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and his Schutztruppe forces, which tied down hundreds of thousands of Allied (British, South African, Indian) troops for the entire duration of the war.

Contrast the high-profile trench warfare of the Western Front with the guerilla-style, supply-starved, and disease-ridden warfare in the African bush.

The Veteran’s Unique Experience: This man endured a war of attrition under extreme conditions, a world away from the European theaters, which grants him a unique place in the veteran community.

B. The Veterans’ Place in Nazi Germany:

Describe the Nazi Party’s veneration of WWI veterans, especially those whose sacrifice could be molded into a narrative of national heroism and future destiny.

The RKB ceremonies were not just about remembering, but about mobilization—rallying a sense of national pride and historical destiny in preparation for a new war.

V. Conclusion: The Finality of the Image 

The Last Stand: Revisit the image. The veteran is physically present in the Nazi era, but his soul belongs to the vanished Kaiserreich (Imperial Germany). He represents the final, public flowering of colonial hope before WWII irrevocably altered the global balance of power.

The Aftermath: Briefly touch upon the demise of the Reichskolonialbund as Hitler shifted focus entirely to the Eastern Front and the European war effort.

Final Reflection: The man in the slouch hat is a powerful, tragic figure—a soldier who fought for an empire that was already dead, only to be co-opted by a regime that would destroy Germany itself. His expression is one of solemn duty, a silent witness to history’s relentless, devastating progression.