The founding of the colonial police force in Togo was carried out by a decree of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck on October 30, 1885. On November 30, 1885, the Germans founded the Polizeitruppe (police force) with twelve Hausa mercenaries who were recruited through a British agency in Nigeria. The creation of the police force took place in the presence of a German warship because the Togolese wanted to prevent the enlistment of these soldiers. The German colonial administration continued to recruit only soldiers from the Islamic faith.
Illustration of a member of the Polizei-Truppe before 1910 in Khaki uniform, red fez. In 1910 a khaki cap was introduced.
Sources
Azamede, Kokou. “Le Togo et la photographie coloniale allemande” Kolonialfotografie, http://kolonialfotografie.com/soldats.html
“Uniforms of the African Other Ranks of the Togo Polizeitruppe”, http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/
Weblinks
Haussa Police Soldiers of the Royal Niger Constabulary, Nigeria 1895.