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The World's War

David Olusoga reveals stories of the millions of Indian, African and Asian troops and ancillaries who fought alongside white European troops during World War I.

Historian and film-maker David Olusoga challenges our understanding of the First World War in this compilation of short films specially made for schools. The World's War focuses on those who made it a truly global conflict - the four million non-white, non-European troops and ancillaries who fought and died alongside European troops to ensure the survival of their Imperial masters.

They came as professional soldiers, conscripts, volunteers and mercenaries, but all had to grapple with not only a new and terrible kind of warfare, but also with the fears and prejudices that swirled around the questions of race in the 20th century. Drawing on personal stories and testimonies, illustrated with rarely seen stills and archive and location photography, this programme dissects the complexities of the Empire and the prejudices of race as they played out against the background of a global struggle for dominance.

1 hour

Last on

Thu 12 Feb 2015 04:00

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Role Contributor
Presenter David Olusoga

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