Colonial Conscripts: The Tirailleurs Senegalais in French West Africa 1857-1960 (Social History of Africa (Paperback))

About this book

In Colonial Conscripts Myron Echenberg traces the social history of a large and diverse group of West Africans who served in Senegalese regiments of the French colonial army. Examining both how the soldiers and veterans lived out their lives in service and how the military institution functioned Dr Echenberg also reviews the African military within a framework bounded by such issues as labor migration and demography. The main focus is on how rank-and-file African soldiers officers and veterans responded to their ambiguous and often contradictory position within the colonial social formation.