The Idea of a British Imperial African Army

Abstract

Britain maintained small colonial armed forces in the African territories for internal security and local defence. In four periods of international crisis, when the British Empire was faced with a shortage of military manpower, it was proposed that African troops be used in imperial roles outside Africa. These proposals were closely related to the increasing opposition by India to the Indian Army being used for imperial defence in Asia and the Middle East. During 1916–18 a parliamentary and press lobby in Britain clamoured for a ‘million black army’. In the years 1919–21 the War Office attempted to raise an African army for use in the Middle East. On both occasions the Colonial Office vigorously opposed these schemes and the crises were resolved without using African troops. The emergencies of 1939–42 changed Colonial Office policy. African troops were used in the East African campaign against the Italians, as labour units in the Middle East, and then, after 1943, as combatants in Asia where they fought as complete formations within the Commonwealth forces. At the end of the Second World War the Colonial Office wished to maintain a sizeable African army at Imperial expense. However, post-war defence cuts reduced the African armed forces although a small parliamentary and service lobby unsuccessfully urged that an African Army be created as an imperial instrument, and to take the place of the Indian Army.

Manly Spectacles and Imperial Soldiers in Wartime Egypt, 1914–19

“…Another serious issue was that there were too few white officers in the British army. 67 The necessity of placing British officers in key positions was a central theme in discussions of physical fitness. Underlying this idea was the widespread belief that without white officers from the proper class, non-white troops, such as Indians, were useless.…”

“…London expected Indians to contribute heavily to the imperial army given the large size of their country and its past history defending British imperial interests in Asia and Africa. 17 For the most part, colonial officials were not disappointed. Apart from the British Isles, India furnished the largest military contingent for service in the war, along with significant numbers of skilled and technical personnel.…”

“…During the years 1916-18, a parliamentary and press campaign in Britain lobbied for the use of subSaharan African troops in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but the Colonial Office repeatedly rejected these requests. 34 Questions of how to deal with the rebellious behaviour of Indians assumed a greater urgency when British officials discussed the possibility that Muslim recruits might develop feelings of solidarity with their religious compatriots. Although the majority of Indian Muslim troops in Egypt supported the war effort, senior officers worried about their loyalty in light of the growing pan-Islamic movements on the subcontinent.…”

The Recruitment of Colonial Troops in Africa and Asia and their Deployment in Europe during the First World War

“…11 On the other hand, Britain did not deploy any African troops on European battlefields, although there was a group of officers and politicians with colonial background lobbying to do so. 12 Winston Churchill, for instance, claimed in a House of Commons speech in May 1916 that not only ten to twelve Indian divisions but also African units should be trained for deployment in Europe:…”

An anatomy of colonial states and fiscal regimes in Portuguese Africa: long-term transformations in Angola and Mozambique, 1850s-1970s

“…However, whereas the War Office saw the potential of an untapped source of military power, that could relief some of the tensions between London and Delhi, the Colonial Office emphasized the problems that this would give: African soldiers would lack discipline and morale, would be confronted with hostility in the Arab world and be unacceptable partners for British or Indian soldiers. Moreover, arming vast additional numbers of Africans would also raise the threat of internal revolts against colonial regimes (Killingray 1979). By WWII, however, the expedition of African regiments to various hotbeds was no longer an issue.…”