White War, Black Soldiers: Two African Accounts of World War I

by Bakary Diallo, Lamine Senghor, Nancy Erber (Translator)

Strength and Goodness ( Force-Bonté ) by Bakary Diallo is one of the only memoirs of World War I ever written or published by an African. It remains a pioneering work of African literature as well as a unique and invaluable historical document about colonialism and Africa’s role in the Great War. Lamine Senghor’s The Rape of a Country ( La Violation d’un pays ) is another pioneering French work by a Senegalese veteran of World War I, but one that offers a stark contrast to Strength and Goodness . Both are made available for the first time in English in this edition, complete with a glossary of terms and a general historical introduction. The centennial of World War I is an ideal moment to present Strength and Goodness and The Rape of a Country to a wider, English-reading public. Until recently, Africa's role in the war has been neglected by historians and largely forgotten by the general public. Euro-centric versions of the war still predominate in popular culture, Many historians, however, now insist that African participation in the 1914-18 War is a large part of what made that conflict a world war.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2021

Reviews

[Vera Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

low-key a book I enjoyed reading for history. scholars classes might be the way to go

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two Senegalese writings, one by a French colonial recruit who admired French empire (Bakary Diallo) and one by an anticolonialist communist (Lamine Senghor). Bakary's story is a WW1 memoir, rather straightforward with occasional dalliances onto subjects he cared about, like a love of animals. It is a tender and sentimental telling. Lamine, on the other hand, wrote a metaphorical story from the colonialization of Senegal to WW1 and indeed to a future revolution, where the enemy is named "Master Bourgeois" and so forth. The writing is impersonal and aggressive. Of the two, the admirer of empire is the most interesting since it's the least heard perspective of the two (at least, by me). It also takes up eighty percent of the book. It's a near sickeningly upbeat and positive account of his life and the faith he has in France's "Strength and Goodness".

Contrasts/Binaries
The two accounts were obviously paired to set off their differences. A few notes on that...

The Frame:
Bakary begins his story talking about how he didn't really fit in to his community in Senegal, so joining the French empire's military was a way to find himself, broaden his horizons, etc. He was awful at shepherding, the family business, and his father never respected him. Lamine begins his story by explaining that his metaphorical family/country were perfect except for the occasional bickering between wives (a subtle criticism of polygamy?). This initial framing leads clearly to the rest of the story for both men.

Perception of the French:
Bakary sees good in the faces of the French. Literally, he often describes their faces. He mentions by name all the French people who helped him during his life. Even when he mentions being shortly imprisoned for complaining and having to deal with a racist military bureaucracy, he speaks of the shining example of what France is in the world. His Muslim religion isn't identified as in conflict with France. Rather, he mentions going to Mass once. It has been claimed that this work was not written by him, and I can see why. However, there has never been credible evidence of this. It's probably worth mentioning that he had been trying to become a French citizen since the war ended, so his viewpoint could be strategic.

As for Lamine, his metaphorical account doesn't allow for real people, nor real events strictly speaking. The characters are political stand-ins for a political story. The Europeans are evil and have no other dimension. Though his anger at Europeans is obvious, he seems to have more disgust for Senegalese collaborators than the French. If there is any nuance in his view of the French, it is that French revolutionaries are the first to bring the message of revolution to the Senegalese. (One wonders how much this new gospel message paralleled the old in the eyes of the Senegalese)

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good but the introduction did not cover enough about Senghor or the impact of Islam in Senegal and the lives of both Senghor and Diallo.
The rape of a country was a beautifully written story and while I think Diallo’s consistent desire for assimilation with France was frustrating, I do think it is reflective of his opinion.

[Niah Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Modern Africa, I found this one easier to follow & get into, especially with Diallo’s entertaining recounting of his time in France, and Senghor’s narrative adaptation of his feelings on European involvement in Africa