Document Type

Research Paper

Publication Date

Spring 2026

First page number:

1

Last page number:

37

Abstract

The First World War in East Africa spanned the entirety of the war, from 1914 to 1918, and by the end of the war nearly all of the personnel on both sides were African. Understanding how the war in East Africa was different geographically and militarily from the western front helps to shed light on the unique experience of the men who fought there. My thesis builds on the thesis of Ibiang O. Ewa, that the Nigerian Regiment was crucial to allied victory in the campaign, in his chapter in Africa and the First World War: Remembrance, Memories, and Representations After 100 Years. This paper will explore in depth how the war was fought in East Africa and argue that the battle at Bweho Chini contributed to the success of the Nigerian Regiment. The digitized war diaries of the Nigerian Regiment from the campaign in East Africa consist of daily reports ranging from describing that little happened, to nearing starvation due to logistical difficulties, to detailing significant combat. The secondary research spanned multiple waves of scholarship regarding the campaign in East Africa that ranged from colonial labor recruitment, to broad overviews of the war, to other specific battles that occurred. The impacts of colonial soldiers fighting on behalf of their rulers was significant and requires more attention.

Controlled Subject

Africa, East; Soldiers; World War (1914-1918)

Disciplines

African History | African Studies | Military History

File Format

PDF

File Size

2160 KB

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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