The Chiwaya War: Malawians In The First World War

by Melvin E. Page

When World War I came to the British Protectorate of Nyasaland, Africans called it the Chiwaya War, from a Chichewa word meaning a “potsherd used for roasting grain.” Malawians first used the word to describe military mess tins. When they later discovered that grain roasted on the tins made a distinct popping sound, they began using the term to describe the noise of machine guns rattling around them. Gradually, chiwaya became associated with the war itself, the conflict's new military technology, and the effects of the war, which seemed to be everywhere, like the sudden scattering in all directions of the popping maize.This is the fascinating story of how most of the adult male population of Malawi was pulled, for the most part unwillingly, into the horrors of a modern war. Melvin Page not only examines the recruitment and military service of Malawian askari (soldiers) and tenga-tenga (military laborers) but also considers the impact of wartime experience on all facets of Malawian life. The Chiwaya War became the nation's first truly national experience, and as such was a watershed in Malawian history.Based on extensive use of oral sources, plus archival research in Africa, Europe, and the United States, The Chiwaya War is the most complete analysis of the effects of the World War I on any African country. As such, the book sets a standard for the further study of the impact of the Great War not only in Africa, but in other areas of the world as well.

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 11, 2000

Reviews

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a strong bias towards liking this book. Professor Page is my thesis advisor at East Tennessee State University. Dr. Page asserts that Africa was brought into the national spotlight during the First World War. He cites two sources that claim that Africa would be forever changed by the world conflict. As far as I know he is the only one who picks up on this. He addresses hegemony in showing how Malawians successfully bucked British, German, and French attempts to send them into war. More importantly he posits that the war experience is static. Through primary and oral sources he reveals that war experience was seen through the same lenses in Africa as it was in America. For those who are familiar with Dr. Page through either his 'Short Guide to History' or his journal articles this book displays how he reaches his historiography on major issues such as war.