A 'Sideshow' of the Second World War: East Africa, 1941

of historical exposure. It has often been regarded as one of the 'side shows' of the Second World War, although it certainly was not to the several hundred thousand African and European men, and some women, who fought there on the contending sides. This lecture will look at the often-ambiguous policies of the Great Powers towards Ethiopia (recently brutally defeated by the Italians and incorporated into their East African empire), the question and purpose of recruiting large African armies, and the course of the military campaigns to defeat Italy in north-east Africa. Since the fiascos accompanying the recent invasion of Iraq, most will be aware of the serious problems caused when powers take control in a large country stripped of its administrative and security infrastructure. How was this challenge dealt with in the vast reaches of north-east Africa following the Italian defeat in 1941? David Killingray is an Emeritus Professor of Modarn History at Goldsmiths and Senior Research Fellow at the School of Advanced Study, both University of London. David is also the author of the book 'Fighting for Britain: Africans in the Second World War', published in 2010.
Admission
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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/se000573?id=EVENT551379