Colonial armies and the World Wars

This chapter offers a comparative view of the development of colonial armed forces in Asia and Africa, their contributions to World War I and World War II, and the impact of the wars on colonial societies and economies. As the chapter shows, it is impossible to tell one story about either the structure of colonial armed forces or their role in global conflict. In both regions, colonial armies were shaped by local economic and political dynamics during the relevant period of imperial expansion. The chapter brings together literatures from military and economic history that do not frequently speak to each other, illustrating the importance of the broader challenges of imperial finances to the structure and impact of colonial armies. It concludes by considering the role of these interactions in the process of decolonization.