Battle Colors: Race, Sex, and Colonial Soldiery in World War

Philippa Levine’s main argument is that “racism was functionally necessary to the stability of imperial rule.” She supports this argument through many points. The First World War’s size and duration required Britain to utilize the strength of all her colonies to protect her land, therefore troops from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa were imported to defend the crown. “In addition to the 1.3 million colonial soldiers from the white Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) over 800,000 Indians fought for the British and over 20,000 South African blacks served in the South African Native Labour Contingent (SANLC).” Britain also formed smaller forces on the Gold Coast, in Southern Rhodesia, Nigeria, Kenya and the West Indies. World War I brought with it Britain’s large measures of constraint directed at the white working-class women and at black soldiers, especially Indians. While British and Dominion (white) troops were granted a sufficient amount of freedom away from

This article was found to be quite amusing. Rather than being disgusted and ashamed of the behaviour of my ancestors I am surprisingly proud. Up until this date I have read countless historical articles that if women were even mentioned it was in regards to keeping house or remaining virgins until marriage. Reading an article like this has opened my eyes to the fact that women of yesterday are not so different from the women of today. Reading about young women’s sexual relations in 1914-1918 has made me feel more comfortable with my own sexuality. I believe that it is the fault of men that the women acted so sexually in the presence of blacks and Indians. Women were constantly told to fear the evil savages that were rumoured to have large genitals. It was the curiosity implanted by the men to fear the non-whites but in turn peaked the young women’s interest. During such an unstable time like World War I many people probably acted in ways, which were not always typical. People were afraid. They did not know what to expect, they did not know if they would get to see their loved ones again or if they would make it out of wartime alive. Fear drives people to act in ways that they would not normally act. With their husbands, brothers and boyfriends off at war and these “new” and “different” soldiers eating in their restaurants and drinking in their bars the young women of World War I created the lust and curiosity for the Men in Uniform.

In conclusion, this article review focused on Philippa Levine’s ar

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