The Belgian Congo was directly involved in the two world wars. During World War I (1914–1918), an initial stand-off between the ''Force Publique'' and the German colonial army in German East Africa (Tanganyika) turned into open warfare with a joint Anglo-Belgian-Portuguese invasion of German colonial territory in 1916 and 1917 during the East African Campaign. The ''Force Publique'' gained a notable victory when it marched into Tabora in September 1916 under the command of General Charles Tombeur after heavy fighting.