French African Troops, WWI &The Tirailleurs Senegalais

Tirailleur Senegalais

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The French empire was already involved militarily throughout Africa before the onset World War One. Under French authority The Army of Africa was formed in 1830. It was originally comprised of multiple units of native Africans, resulting from successful indigenous recruitment strategies throughout Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, as well as French natives transferring from prior service within the already established French Navy and Army. Remnants of The Army of Africa still exist today within the French military.   Historically the units comprising The Army of Africa played a significant military role during the colonial conquests, the two world wars and during so-called decolonization wars. This blog post will focus primarily on World War one and the establishment of The Tirailleurs Senegalais.

 

The President of the Republic, Raymond Poincaré and General Mangin

reviews a regiment of Senegalese soldiers in Fismes in Marne , April 2, 1917.

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When  war began in 1914 it was essentially a European conflict. However due to the fact that major European powers held colonies throughout the African continent, the war had considerable impacts on Africa itself as well. 

Between 1914 and 1918 France recruited nearly 500,000 colonial troops, including over 166,000 West Africans, 46,000 Madagascans, 50,000 Indochinese, 140,000 Algerians, 47,000 Tunisians and 24,300 Moroccans. Most of these French colonial troops served throughout Europe. However, a great majority of  Africans served as laborers or carriers within Africa itself. (Das) 

  

French West African troops serving in World War I comprised  as many as 170,891 men, of which approximately 30,000 of these men were killed in action.  From Senegal alone more than 1/3 of all males of military age were mobilized. One of the major regiments from West Africa were The Tirailleurs Senegalais.

The Tirailleurs Senegalais were created as the first permanent units of black African soldiers under French rule in 1857.  From 1857 to 1905 the Tirailleurs Senegalais was primarily a mercenary force composed of slaves and Africans from low social ranks. although a small group of well-born Africans served as intermediaries to the French officers/leadership.

With the start of World War I, many of The Tirailleurs Senegalais soldiers were brought to the war front in France. They served in several important battles within France, such as Vimy Ridge and Somme.The Tirailleurs Senegalais also fought for some time alongside black American soldiers in the trenches throughout Europe and even participated in the conquest of Morocco in the early 1900s.

Tirailleurs Senegalais in World War I France

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