12.Why did east Africa get involved in the second world war in 1939_1945?

12.Why did east Africa get involved in the second world war in 1939_1945?

It was the war involving Germany under Adolf Hitler supported by Italy and Japan against Britian France Russia and later the USA.

Most of the fighting was Europe north African Ethiopia Burma south Asia and the pacific

At first east Africa was not involved since this was entirely a European war  but sooner east Africa found her self joining the war on the side of Britain the war went on up to 8th may 1945

East Africa was under the control of colonialists who were in the world war.she was therefore under military obligation to support her colonial master Britain

Some Germans in Tanganyika supported Hilter hoping that Tanganyika would return to Germany ,Britain had to make sure that this did not happen hence involving east Africa into the war

The German and the British were opponents at home east Africa as their colonial empire was not going to escape the conflicts between the two countries

Africans had performed quite well in the first world war,so the Europeans decided to use them once again

Italy invaded Somalia Eritrea and Ethiopia, the presence of such power in such an area threatened the British in east Africa inevitably forcing them to come and protect east Africa against possible Italian attack

In June 1940 Italy joined the war on the side of the Germany forcing Britain to also join and even stationed seven KAR battalions on the Somali border.general alan Cunningham led the British army against the Italians in Somalia

The Italians were defeated and driven out of Ethiopia,somalia,and Eritrea by December 1941 Italy had surrendered

More tension was created when more troops were poured into Kenya from Nigeria,gold coast( Ghana) ,south Africa and India as more troop were poured in,it became more difficult for east Africa to escape the war.

East Africa was directly involved in the funding of the war she contributed money to her colonial master Britain for the war which had now spread to almost all parts of the world

Later Japan joined the war in 1943 this worried the British who wanted to protect the Indian ocean and interests in India.

Because of this the number of KAR battalions was explained to thirty !any Africans were encouraged to join the war and most of them were sent to Burma,India and Madagascar

On 8th may 1945 ,Germany was utterly defeated and forced to surrender this marked the end of the war.