During WWII, soldiers from European colonies, from the Dutch East indies to French West Africa, fought for their “mother countries” with the hope of gaining independence after conclusion of the war. However, upon returning home soldiers from colonies almost universally had their hopes dashed. Many of these veterans became politically active and pushed the European counties that they fought for to grant them independence. While the activities of veterans were important in decolonization, Elizabeth Schmidt argues in “Popular Resistance and Anti-Colonial Mobilization – The War Effort in French Guinea” (from Africa and World War II, ed. Judith A. Byfield, et al.) that the wartime protests by civilians in European imperial holdings was just as important as the actions of veterans who serves in WWII in laying the groundwork for postcolonial independence.
An example of these two forces at work, civilian protests during the war and veteran political activity after the war, can be seen in the Independence movement in Algeria, with many former military servicemen serving in important positions in the FLN. French Algerians contributed heavily to the Free French forces that fought in Italy and then later to liberate France from Nazi occupation. But even in war time the French colonial troops were treated as second class citizens. Upon returning home, the veterans felt that they had earned independence with their sacrifices, but Algeria remained a part of France.
I like your focus on on veterans, but Schmidt states that they played a significant role in the road to revolution. Veterans took on a form of elitism when they returned from war, since their experiences separated them from the people in their mother country. This led to some internal conflict. Was this a good thing or did it serve as a kind of distraction from the main goal of independence?
This idea of needing something more by these colonies could also be seen in our country after the French and Indian war. The colonist who fought alongside the British and would later be taking advantage of by their rulers would also demand compensation for their suffering, both for the veterans and the people back home.
I thought it was interesting that the civilians had such a big role on the homeland. I thought it was interesting how much of the work force was impacted by men who were drafted. I like that you mentioned the men who were serving in the ranks. I think its important to note how much their roles during the war impacted their skill set and their confidence to demand independence.
Because soldiers from Algeria fought for the French, did France owe them by freeing them? Legally, did France have the right to keep Algeria as a colony? Was the tactics the FLN worth it or were they to violent?
Your emphasis on the importance of veterans really drives home the notion that these colonized people were willing to give everything for their birth nation in the hopes of seeing it free after the war. Although many African and other colonized nations were not granted freedom after their service, it did lay the groundworks for many independence movements like the one you mentioned in Algeria.