The Great War was the first conflict fought on a global scale and a “period of immense and significant change” for the African continent (Rathbone 1978). As John Iliffe points out, the war was both the apex of colonialism in Africa, and the beginning of its decline (Iliffe 1979). After the end of the war, the German colonies were divided between Great Britain, France, Belgium and South Africa, completing the process of partition that had started with the Berlin Conference in 1884-1885. At the same time, the war represented the climax of colonial exploitation. African resources and labour were exploited in an unprecedented way, and some colonies were used as a mere battlefield for a war that was entirely European. The more direct effects of the conflict were felt in the colonies where the war was actually fought, for example the German colonies and the neighbouring territories, and in those areas where thousands of soldiers and workers were recruited for the European fronts (Anderson 2017).