ABSTRACT
West Africans were actively involved in the world wars of 1914–1918 and 1939–1945. At the outbreak of the wars, most parts of West Africa were formally under the control of the Europeans, resulting in the involuntary inclusion of West Africans in the conflicts between the European powers, as West Africans were compelled to support their colonial countries. During World War I, over 200,000 men from French West Africa and more than 70,000 men from British West Africa were sent to Europe, while over 90 percent of German soldiers in Cameroon were drawn from West Africa. Although the main battleground was in Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe, some battles were fought on West African soil, which had become an extension of Europe. This chapter aims to examine the role of West Africans in the world wars, the colonial administration in the interwar years, and the impact and consequences of the wars on the region.
