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While most histories of World War I focus on Europe, over two million Africans were drawn into the conflict as soldiers, porters, and laborers. This lesson introduces students to the some of the African experiences of WWI through primary source image analysis. Students will consider how African colonies experienced the war, why they were drawn into it, and how the conflict reshaped ideas of independence and identity across the continent.
It’s important to recognize there is no single story of Africa during WWI, as each person, group, and nation encountered very different experiences. This lesson is designed to help explore a selection of stories from a variety of different groups’ experiences.
