Name ______________________________ Core _________ Date ________________________
The Forgotten Ones
example, armed 140 battalions from West Africa and
Madagascar and sent them into warfare. Entire
divisions of North Africans also took part in combat.
The North Africans were mainly Moroccans,
Algerians, and Tunisians.
Nearly 100,000 colonial soldiers died on the
Western Front. Their sacrifice, however, was long
overlooked by the governments that sent them into
battle. Even history textbooks have done little to
BRUSSELS, Belgium An exhibit in a Belgian
museum seeks to clarify the role of colonial troops
during the 1914-1918 conflict known initially as the
Great War, then as World War I (WWI). The exhibit
spotlights the contributions of these forgotten soldiers.
It also examines the unfair treatment they received,
including empty promises of freedom.
Recently, on the 90th anniversary of the end of
WWI, the BELvue Museum in Brussels, Belgium,
opened an exhibit called "Man, Culture and War." The
display surveys the efforts of the colonial soldiers who
assisted the ultimately victorious Allied powers. The
Allied powers consisted of troops from France, Britain,
Belgium, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
During WWI, many European countries still
ruled colonies in Africa and Asia. More than one
million African and Asian volunteers answered the call
to aid the Allied infantry. Many of the colonial soldiers
fought along the Western Front. This battle line
zigzagged primarily across France and Belgium, from
the North Sea to Switzerland. The colonial soldiers
served as auxiliaries. Often, they dug trenches along
the front. They also cleared unexploded bombs. Others
fought alongside Allied troops. The French, for
remember their efforts.
"Asian and African units played an immensely
important role on the Allied side throughout the war,"
said Piet Chielens. Chielens is head of the In Flanders
Fields Museum, which assisted the BELvue Museum
in assembling its exhibit. "But very quickly after the
war their contribution was reduced to a footnote in
history."
The exhibit doesn't only highlight the colonial
troops' contributions. It also details the discrimination
suffered by these soldiers. The French, the exhibit
shows, allowed colonial soldiers to rise at best to the
rank of captain. In the British and Belgian armies, nonEuropeans could rise no higher than sergeant.
The colonial soldiers were also treated
extremely poorly. They were inadequately trained and
equipped. Discipline was harsh. According to
exhibition captions, the ruling countries were reluctant
to arm and train black African troops. The countries
were afraid that the troops would turn their skills
against their colonial masters once they returned home.
In return for their voluntary participation in the
war, the exhibit explains, the colonial soldiers had
been promised freedom for their homelands in Africa
and Asia. Like their contributions to the war, however,
these promises were soon forgotten. After the war, a
decolonization, although several years-and another
young Vietnamese man named Ho Chi Minh, for
world war-would pass before they would succeed. The
example, petitioned the leaders of the victorious Allied
movement led by Ho Chi Minh, for example,
powers. He asked them to support independence for his
eventually led to Vietnam's liberation from French
country. The appeal went unheeded. A South African
colonial rule. Plaatje became one of the founders of the
writer named Solomon Plaatje experienced similar
African National Congress. In the 1990s, this group
defeat of his attempts to gain freedom for his people.
successfully brought an end to apartheid rule in South
The anger and resentment created by the
discrimination and poor treatment of colonial soldiers
Africa.
"The worldwide surge of decolonization which
were compounded by the betrayal of promises of
came after World War II had its origins in the
freedom that were not honored. All these fueled
disappointments and humiliations suffered by colonial
liberation movements that ultimately brought an end to
troops during and after the Great War," said Piet
the colonial empires. Many colonial soldiers were the
Chielens.
very people who went on to lead the fight for
Dictionary
apartheid (noun)
caption (noun)
in South Africa, the practice of keeping people of different races apart
a short written description or title accompanying a display or a printed illustration
humiliation (noun)
infantry (noun)
something that damages one's pride or dignity
a unit or branch of soldiers trained to fight on foot
Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)
1. According to the article, what fueled the liberation
movements that ultimately brought an end to the
colonial empires?
A. The anger and resentment created by the
discrimination and poor treatment of colonial
soldiers
B. The fact that in the British and Belgian armies,
non-Europeans were forced to become sergeants
C. The fact that at the BELvue Museum, an exhibit
honored the colonial soldiers' efforts in a footnote
D. The exhibit in a Belgian museum that represents
B. The exhibit portrays colonial soldiers'
contributions and the discrimination they suffered.
C. The colonial soldiers' sacrifices were overlooked
by the rulers that sent them into battle.
D. Many European countries still ruled colonies in
Africa and Asia at the time of WWI.
5. Which of these is a statement of opinion?
A. The African National Congress successfully
brought an end to apartheid rule in South Africa
during the 1990s.
B. Ho Chi Minh asked that the leaders of the
the role of colonial troops during the WWI
victorious Allied powers support independence for
conflict
his country.
2. Which is the closest synonym for the word
humiliation?
A. Eternity
C. The movement led by Ho Chi Minh eventually led
to Vietnam's liberation from French colonial rule.
D. Colonial soldiers were justified in feeling
B. Embarrassment
resentful about the discrimination and poor
C. Eruption
treatment they received.
D. Enthusiasm
3. The author probably wrote this article in order to
__________.
A. Praise the In Flanders Fields Museum for assisting
the BELvue Museum in assembling its exhibit
B. Criticize the textbook publishers who have done
little to remember the colonial soldiers who fought
in WWI
C. Spotlight the contributions and unfair treatment of
the forgotten colonial soldiers who served in WWI
D. Spotlight the fact that many colonial soldiers
fought near and died at the Western Front during
WWI
6. Which information is not in the article?
A. The number of African and Asian volunteers that
answered the call to aid the Allies
B. The name of the museum that assisted the
BELvue Museum in assembling its exhibit
C. The name of the BELvue Museum exhibit that
spotlights colonial soldiers' role in WWI
D. The number of North African divisions that fought
alongside the Allied troops
7. The article states: They were inadequately trained
and equipped, and discipline was harsh. Which would
be the closest synonym for the word inadequately?
A. Impressively
4. Which of these should not be included in a summary of
B. Indefinitely
this article?
C. Immortally
A. Piet Chielens is the head of the In Flanders Fields
Museum located in Belgium.
D. Insufficiently
8. What is this article mainly about?
A. An exhibit that highlights the contributions and
poor treatment of colonial soldiers in World War I
B. A history textbook that explains why ruling
C. A WWI battle line called the Western Front that
zigzagged primarily across France and Belgium
D. An exhibit that was updated to show the role of
countries refused to arm and train black African
Asian and African units in Morocco, Algiers, and
troops in WWI
Tunisia.
Opinion Question: Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this
statement. In your opinion, which was the greater injustice regarding the service of colonial soldiers during WWI?

They were poorly treated and were discriminated against.

The promises of freedom for their homelands were not honored.
Thought Question: History books barely acknowledge the colonial soldiers who fought in World War I. Write
a page about them for a history book. Be sure to include the colonial soldiers' background, their actions during the
war, and the treatment they received. Use details from the article and your own ideas in your writing. (5 points)
Math- World War I lasted about four years. World War II lasted about six years. How much longer did World War
II last than World War I?
A. 20% longer
B. 75% longer
C. 40% longer
D. 50% longer