Africa's Hidden Sacrifice

France recruited over 500,000 soldiers from its African colonies — the Tirailleurs Sénégalais (though they came from across West Africa, not just Senegal). They fought in some of the war's bloodiest battles.

• 170,000 West Africans served on the Western Front
• 30,000 were killed in action — a rate matching or exceeding French units
• Britain recruited 1 million African laborers and soldiers
• In German East Africa, fighting continued until November 25, 1918 — two weeks after the European armistice

Many returned home to find their sacrifice earned them nothing: no citizenship, no equal rights, no land.