Impact of WW1 - Indian and African Support
History: KS3, topic 14.1.14
Indian and African Support for the British Empire During WWI
Just after WWI, Britain’s empire reached its largest ever size. It had commandeered Egypt from the Ottoman Empire at the start of the war. Over 1 million Indian soldiers fought for the British overseas.
Indian military support for Britain
- During World War One, over 1 million Indian soldiers fought for the British overseas.
- Most Indian soldiers fought in the trenches against the Germans on the Western Front (in France and Belgium), against German East Africa (which is now Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania), or against the Ottoman Empire in Egypt and Gallipoli.
- The Indian Army was split into 'Expeditionary Forces' which were sent to support the British war effort in different regions.
- In 1915, sepoys guarding the crew of the German ship, the SMS Emden, rebelled in Singapore. This is known as the Singapore Mutiny. The Germans refused to join the mutiny.
Indian financial support for Britain
- In 1911, income taxes generated 2% of India's budget. By 1917, this had reached 12%, reflecting the higher tax burden on India to support Britain's war effort.
- In 1917, Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India proposed the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, which committed to increased self-government in India.
- This introduced the idea of dyarchy (dual government).
African support for the British war effort
- At the start of the war, Egypt was theoretically under Turkish control, but Turkey fought alongside the Germans in World War 1. Britain named Egypt a protectorate and promised to consider Egyptian-led rule after the war.
- 1.2 million Egyptians defended Egypt and the Middle East as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Some Egyptians fought in Europe and over 50,000 Egyptians are estimated to have been killed in World War One.
League of Nation mandates
- After WW1, the Allies seized German and Ottoman overseas territories.
- The rights to take these territories from Germany were called 'mandates'.
- Countries overseeing mandates were meant to be helping the nations reach a stage where they could become independent.
- A grade mandates: These regions were developed and capable of independence in the near future. e.g. Palestine and Syria.
- B grade mandates: These territories required guidance before independence. e.g. Tanganyika.
- C grade mandates: Independence was not considered viable. e.g. New Guinea and Samoa.
How many troops fought and died for Britain in WW1?
- According to Kitchen (1996), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand "did not question Britain's declaration of war" and "even extreme nationalist Indians did not oppose the war".
- 56,638 Canadians, 59,330 Australians, 16,711 New Zealanders, 7,121 South Africans, 62,056 Indians and 3,000 people from East & West Africa died fighting for Britain in World War 1.
Test yourself on Impact of WW1 - Indian and African Support
How many people died fighting for Britain in World War 1?
What reforms did Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, propose in 1917?
Which of these are true of Egypt during WWI?