The Second World War (1939–1945) was a global conflict that reshaped the world, and while the contributions of major Allied powers like the Soviet Union are well-documented, the role of African soldiers, particularly in supporting the defeat of Nazi Germany by Soviet forces, remains underrecognized.
Over one million African soldiers, conscripted or volunteered from British, French, Belgian, and other colonial territories, including Uganda, served in various theaters of the war, including campaigns that indirectly bolstered the Soviet Union’s efforts on the Eastern Front.
Africa’s involvement in World War II began earlier than the commonly cited start date of 1939, with Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, an event that galvanized African resistance against fascism.
Ethiopian Patriots, like the young Jagama Kello, waged guerrilla warfare against Italian forces, setting a precedent for African resistance.
When the war expanded, colonial powers heavily relied on African manpower. Britain alone enlisted over 500,000 soldiers from its Sub-Saharan colonies, while France, Belgium, and Italy also conscripted thousands from their territories.
These soldiers served in diverse roles, from combat units to logistical support, across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
African soldiers were instrumental in several campaigns that diverted Axis resources, indirectly aiding the Soviet Union’s fight against Germany. The East African Campaign (1940–1941), for instance, saw 33,000 East Africans and 9,000 West Africans, alongside South African and Indian troops, defeat Italian forces in Ethiopia and Somalia.
The capture of Mogadishu by the 23rd Nigerian Brigade in May 1941 was a significant blow to Italy, an Axis power, weakening its ability to support Germany.
Similarly, the North African Campaign (1940–1943), involving British Commonwealth forces with significant African contingents, tied down German and Italian troops, preventing them from reinforcing the Eastern Front.
One of the most significant contributions of African soldiers to the Soviet victory was their role in the Burma Campaign (1942–1945), which diverted Japanese and Axis resources away from other fronts, including the Eastern Front.
Of the estimated 100,000 African soldiers who served in Southeast Asia, over half were from Nigeria, known as the “Burma Boys.” These soldiers, often working alongside British Indian Army units like the Chindits, were critical to Allied victories in Burma.
The campaign was the longest land campaign fought by the British in World War II, and African soldiers’ resilience in the harsh jungle terrain helped reclaim Rangoon from Japanese forces by 1945.
The Burma Campaign’s success had strategic implications for the Eastern Front. Japan, a German ally, was unable to advance further in Asia or support Germany directly due to the pressure exerted by Allied forces, including African troops.
This allowed the Soviet Union to focus its resources on repelling Germany’s Operation Barbarossa (1941) and subsequent offensives. The Soviet counteroffensive in 1941, which halted the German advance on Moscow, and the decisive Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943) were bolstered by the fact that Germany could not rely on Japanese support or additional Axis reinforcements, partly due to the efforts of African soldiers in Asia.
The North African Campaign was another critical theater where African soldiers contributed to the broader Allied strategy that supported Soviet efforts. The campaign, fought from 1940 to 1943, aimed to secure the Suez Canal and Middle Eastern oil fields while driving Italy out of the war.
African soldiers from British colonies, such as Kenya and Nigeria, served in the Eighth Army under General Bernard Montgomery.
Their efforts culminated in the Second Battle of El Alamein (1942), a turning point that decisively defeated the German-Italian Panzerarmee Afrika.
By engaging and defeating the Afrika Korps, led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, African and Commonwealth forces ensured that Germany diverted significant resources—tanks, aircraft, and troops—to North Africa.
This weakened Germany’s ability to reinforce its armies on the Eastern Front, where the Soviet Union was engaged in brutal battles like Kursk (1943). The surrender of over 275,000 Axis troops in Tunisia in May 1943 was a massive loss for Germany, reducing its capacity to sustain the war against the Soviets. African soldiers’ contributions in North Africa, though often in support roles due to colonial prejudices, were vital to this outcome.
African soldiers also played a role in the European theater, which indirectly supported the Soviet effort.
However, some units, like the 761st Tank Battalion (“Black Panthers”), saw combat in General George Patton’s Third Army, earning praise for their courage in France.
During the Battle of the Bulge (1944–1945), approximately 2,500 African soldiers fought alongside white troops in integrated units—a rare occurrence—helping to repel Germany’s last major offensive in the West.
These efforts in Western Europe complemented Soviet advances in the East. By 1944, as the Soviets launched Operation Bagration, which destroyed Germany’s Army Group Centre, the Western Allies, including African units, were tying down German forces in Normandy and beyond.
This pincer strategy stretched Germany’s resources thin, contributing to its collapse in 1945.
The service of African soldiers had profound socio-political consequences. For African soldiers, exposure to European soldiers’ vulnerabilities and the realities of colonial oppression sparked political awareness.
Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene noted that seeing “white men naked” in war demystified European superiority, fueling independence movements post-war. Many African veterans, like Nigeria’s Marshall Kebby, returned with “improved ideas about life” and played key roles in anti-colonial struggles.
Despite their contributions, African soldiers faced significant challenges. Many African soldiers were conscripted forcibly, and colonial powers offered little gratitude or compensation post-war.
In recent years, efforts by leaders like Emmanuel Macron have begun to acknowledge African soldiers’ roles, but much of their history remains marginalized.
The defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union was a monumental achievement, but it was not accomplished in isolation.
African soldiers, through their service in campaigns like North Africa, Burma, and Europe, played a crucial role in diverting Axis resources, weakening Germany’s war machine, and enabling Soviet victories on the Eastern Front.