Malawians and the Great War: Oral History in Reconstructing Africa’s Recent Past

Abstract

In the effort to understand the profound impact of World War One upon Africa, the small country of Malawi offers a possibly useful methodological case study. Then known as the Nyasaland Protectorate, and occupying a strategic position on the southern border of German East Africa, it was a vital link in the East African Campaign. More than 200,000 Africans, about one-fifth of the total population, and several hundred Europeans were drawn into military service as soldiers and laborers. Most Malawian villages were expected to provide food for thousands of men employed throughout the four-year campaign. Such widespread involvement had a notable impact on the few Europeans and the many Africans of the protectorate and brought substantial and permanent changes to Malawian society.' Understanding the dynamics of these changes necessarily involves careful analysis of both European and African historical documents. A convenient, and traditional, starting point is the vast array of published European reminiscences, reports, and a considerable quantity of unpublished governmental and private archival records. The diversity of these accounts, which reflect attitudes ranging from private commercial interests to official and missionary paternalism, ensures that many facets of the Great War will be available to the researcher. The African voice is represented by the European interpretation of African interests and in the infrequent translation and quotation of some statements of Malawian opinion.