Thursday, February 17, 2011

OPTION ONE: Africa and South Africa in World War One

Africa and World War One
"When thinking of World War One, the pictures that often come to mind are trenches, stagnant warfare and other items that are associated with the Western Front. When one thinks of War in Africa, items that generally come to mind are old tribal wars, or General Rommel’s Afrika Corps, General Montgomery and the Battle of El Alamein. However war in Africa can be thoroughly included in the history of World War One. War in Africa occurred almost simultaneously as war in Europe did. War in Africa first broke out in early August 1914 with all the German colonies being attacked by the Allies, the colony of Togoland for instance was quickly overrun by August 26th. While this German colony submitted early to Allied pressure, other colonies held out much longer, like German South-East Africa holding out until the war ended four years later. Africa’s contribution to the war was not limited to only the German colonies. Also just as important were the troops from African nations that fought with the Allies not only in Africa but also in Europe along the Western Front. Regiments from Algeria were the most common in Europe, but also regiments from Morocco, Senegal and others were found in smaller degrees. "



More information on Africa and South Africa in World War One can be found here.
A map of Africa broken up into the different empires can be found here.


South Africa by Rudyard Kipling
(Which can be found here)

Lived a woman wonderful
(May the Lord amend her!)
Neither simple, kind, nor true,
But her Pagan beauty drew
Christian gentlemen a few
Hotly to attend her.

Christian gentlemen a few
From Berwick unto Dover;
For she was South Africa,
Ana she was South Africa,
She was Our South Africa,
Africa all over!

Half her land was dead with drouth,
Half was red with battle;
She was fenced with fire and sword
Plague on pestilence outpoured,
Locusts on the greening sward
And murrain on the cattle!

True, ah true, and overtrue.
That is why we love her!
For she is South Africa,
And she is South Africa,
She is Our South Africa,
Africa all over!

Bitter hard her lovers toild,
Scandalous their paymen, --
Food forgot on trains derailed;
Cattle -- dung where fuel failed;
Water where the mules had staled;
And sackcloth for their raiment!

So she filled their mouths with dust
And their bones with fever;
Greeted them with cruel lies;
Treated them despiteful-wise;
Meted them calamities
Till they vowed to leave her!

They took ship and they took sail,
Raging, from her borders --
In a little, none the less,
They forgat their sore duresse;
They forgave her waywardness
And returned for orders!

They esteemed her favour more
Than a Throne's foundation.
For the glory of her face
Bade farewell to breed and race --
Yea, and made their burial-place
Altar of a Nation!

Wherefore, being bought by blood,
And by blood restored
To the arms that nearly lost,
She, because of all she cost,
Stands, a very woman, most
Perfect and adored!

On your feet, and let them know
This is why we love her!
For she is South Africa,
She is Our South Africa,
Is Our Own South Africa,
Africa all over!


In Rudyard Kipling’s “South Africa”, he talks about the condition of Africa, and mainly South Africa. Before, and during WWI, Africa was divided between the empires of Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Belgium. They were not one continent, they were little pieces of different empires. They had been imperialized, and in a sense, broken up into little pieces. Rudyard Kipling mentioned many times, “Africa all over!” He also wrote with it, “For she is South Africa, She is Our South Africa, Is Our Own South Africa.” He means that many empires, mainly France and Britain, believed that Africa was theirs, when they imperialized a specific part of Africa. Kipling is mainly speaking about South Africa, which was mainly controlled by Britain, but “Africa [was] all over!” He also wrote, “Half her land was dead with drouth, Half was red with battle.” South Africa had been stripped of much of their resources by Britain who didn’t have as much of the rich soil, landscape, and especially the rich gold and diamond mines that South Africa possessed. Their land was “dead with drouth” because of their resources had been taken by the British. What he meant by “Half was red with battle,” was when Britain went to war, South Africa did as well. And when Britain's empire was challenged, South Africa would be in the battle too, leaving their land “red”. Whenever an empire that controlled that specific part of Africa went to war, in turn that part of Africa went to war as well.


 

2 comments:

  1. You took this a different direction then I thought you would. You have strong quotes to back up your points. I especially liked when you said, "They were not one continent, they were little pieces of different empires. They had been imperialized, and in a sense, broken up into little pieces. Rudyard Kipling mentioned many times, “Africa all over!”," It gave a very strong visual.

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  2. It was a different topic that people don't think of. You showed that it did have an affect in the war. You made many references to the poem above. This was thought to be an A to B to C etc. but you showed that it was an A to B and B2 to C to C2 etc.

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