Britain replaced the Italian police with a Somali gendarmerie that disarmed the population
Evidence
The Italian police force was disbanded because of its ‘bad discipline and unreliability’ and completely replaced by a hastily recruited Somalia Gendarmerie under British officers. By 1943 this new force had swollen to an establishment of 3,070 Somalis and African ranks (including some recruits from Tanganyika) with 120 British officers. With these resources the general disarmament of the population was satisfactorily achieved, and the activities of a number of pro-Italian irregular guerilla groups effectively controlled. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 327
Categorization
- XREF: General disarmament under the British contrasts with the later, armed Somali society Lewis describes in earlier chapters of clan warfare — echoes of how external rule shaped Somali militarization. — connects to: Italy’s easy capitulation left Britain badly unprepared to administer Somalia — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 323; The Gendarmerie’s deliberate clan mixing advanced Somali nationalism — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 335
Related
- Italy’s easy capitulation left Britain badly unprepared to administer Somalia (similarity 0.84)
- Italian security measures in 1950-52 read to Somalis as a military occupation. (similarity 0.81)
- No acceptable power wanted the evacuated Somali ports, forcing British action (similarity 0.80)
- British recovery of Somaliland in 1941 proceeded with swift disarmament and restored trade (similarity 0.79)
- The Gendarmerie’s deliberate clan mixing advanced Somali nationalism (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Italy’s easy capitulation left Britain badly unprepared to administer Somalia
#corroborates(0.60) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 323 - The Gendarmerie’s deliberate clan mixing advanced Somali nationalism
#corroborates(0.50) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 335