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African American Soldiers

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With the improvements in industry and technology, countries in Britain, Germany, and France grew in power and wealth. As nationalism and liberalism in these countries as well as others spread across the nation, empires weakened such as the Ottoman Empire, Russia, and Austria. With so much different power sources in the nation’s, Europe divided into different alliances, which eventually led to various crises spread throughout nation as a whole. The Triple Alliance consisted of Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Germany; while the Triple Entente consisted of Britain, France, and Russia. These different alliances helped to balance each other’s powers. At the same time the imbalance of the alliances ultimately led to dysfunction within them. As tensions …show more content…
Senegal had contributed more soldiers than any other colony, contributing almost 29,000 soldiers. In Memories of Senegalese Soldiers, it tells the various stories of what it was like being an Senegal soldier and being part of the French army. Many of the soldiers from Senegal were young men that were trying to flee their villages. Officials in Senegal caught on when many young men started to flee when they would round up men to enter the army. In the document it is described as “often they used to go and enter the army [so that] their fathers [would be] released”(World of History,941). When becoming soldiers of the French they described it as “another [way of] life - which was the French one”(World of History,942). The French took care of the Senegal soldiers, telling them to show their pride of winning on Fort Douaumont. Senegal soldiers described how “officers told us not to wash our uniforms even though they were very dirty and covered with mud… Don’t wash your uniforms. Cross the country as you are so that everyone who meets you will know that you made the attack on Fort Douaumont”(World of History,942). The French admired the Senegal soldiers and with respect, something they did not experience before. Even after the war had ended and the soldiers returned to Senegal, they were respected for their actions, representing their country and the country they fought for with …show more content…
It was stated that “ France lost a higher percentage of men aged 18 to 25 than any other warring nation”(Connections A World History,734). Women were left without husbands,children without fathers, and mothers without sons. During the war the birth rate declined sufficiently. Over a million women returned to the workforce, causing children to be without fathers and mothers, leaving them in the care of grandparents or other relatives. French had severe shortages resulting in malnutrition. The French suffered in the war with malnutrition and

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