A Nation Torn Apart: Samoan Civil Wars

A Nation Torn Apart: Samoan Civil Wars

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In this video we tell you about the Samoan Civil Wars and its importance in the Polynesian kingdom. Let us know what you think of this video down below!

[EveryThingHistory_]

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've covered a war/battle. Going to be making more of these since you guys love them. But what war/battle do you want me to cover next. Let me know!

[TimBrianTufuga]

Very simplistic but generally accurate. The Puleono o Salafai, or the SIX PULE or the six amalgmated Districts of Savaii Island were Malietoa aligned and were partially patronised by the Germans, but, the British were more influential since John Williams brought the Messenger of Peace and the London Missionary Society (Congregational Church) and in the 1860s the Wesleyan missionaries brought the Methodist church to Samoa. The Germans were commercially engaged in Samoan society via the DHPG company who were overall interested primarily in Copra farming. However, the crux of the issue and no less less discussed in Missionary scholarly works at the period and by academics including the late arrival of Robert Louis Stevenson, is the impact of the Whale trade which required secure blubber sources from the South Seas, in what may be aptly described in the Moby Dick elusive Whaling migrations through the Pacific ocean. The Whaling ships need for port of calls for water replenishment elevated the Pacific Islands for this purpose alone. This was until the discovery of Oil firstly in America and later in the Middle East, reducing the need for the exclusive Whaling stations through to the Antarctic Seas via the Pacific Islands. The British had more cultural immersive influence in Samoa than the Germans.

The Germans were hitherto standoffish from immersing themselves with the Samoans as compared to the British. The Samoans spoke German only in exclusive circles amongst the servants and higher diplomatic circles, especially the Samoan Clergy and Political circles. Most Samoans spoke English since the LMS had written the Bible in Samoan and English, not in German. The German influence was purely superficial suffice it to say the DHPG interacted with local Samoan villages as deemed commercially necessary in securing land tenure for Copra cultivation.

Samoans as a Geo-Political strategic target for European and American Colonial outpost, served the aforementioned Whaling and Copra natural oils for energy needs for the developing Nations in Europe and America. Fossil fuel was yet to be discovered as mentioned. Samoa served two purposes, its isolation for whaling ships and for the Copra which involved direct commercial exhange with the Samoan people directly. This led to the first Samoan industrial dispute between the Samoans and the DHPG (Germans) culminating in the Mau I Pule protest, the exiling of Lauaku Namulaulu by the German Solf Administration in 1904.

However, during the 1886 Samoan civil war period, the local ascendency contest was more focused on the sibling rivalry for the Malietoa title amongst the contenders from the House of Pouesi (Malietoa Talavou's descendants Malietoa Fitisemanu and other siblings, eg, Tuiletufuga from the Maota O Pouesi) and House of Poutoa ( Descendants of Malietoa Moli, the brother of Malietoa Talavou, and his descendants, as mentioned in this video, Malietoa Laupepa, the son of Malietoa Moli) This skirmish would end with the British siding with Malietoa Laupepa and Malietoa Talavou supporters from the DHPG (Germans) in this initial sibling rivalry which ended in Malietoa Laupepa ascendance with the support of the LMS Church and therefore the British supporting Malietoa Laupepa in 1880-1886.

The subsequent conflict between Malietoa Laupepa and Mataafa Iosefo which was supported by the DHPG Germans was interestingly different from this video. Since Malietoa Laupepa was actually supported by the British not the other way round. It was his sibling rival Malietoa Talavou, also known as Tonumaipe'a, whom was supported by the DHPG Germans. Until the passing of Malietoa Talavou on November 6th, 1880, was the rivalry for ascendency realised when the British strongly supported by the LMS Church vouched for Malietoa Laupepa and hence the Maota O Poutoa to ascend as the Malietoa. Malietoa Laupepa's son Tanumafili would become the Malietoa upon his passing. His son Malietoa Tanumafili le Lua would pass away in 2007 in Apia Samoa ending the life tenure of the Samoan Head of State for His Highness le Susuga le Malietoa Tanumafili le Lua. The rest is conjectured in skewered history such as this video.

Have a nice day.

[malietoasamoa]

Ahhh yes the Samoan victory over the germens in 1888 December 12th and another victory over American and British soilders April 1st 1899

[largestudent]

I swear there was a popular mobile game during middle school and high school about tropical minions.