“It’s worth remembering the smaller independent nations of Europe, Africa and North America that took part in the conflict.”

By Richard Anderton

THE FIRST WORLD WAR was primarily a clash of mighty European empires. But as the fighting spread around the globe, a number of lesser powers found themselves drawn into the conflict. Today, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the guns falling silent, it’s worth remembering the smaller independent nations of Europe, Africa and North America that took part in the conflict.

Portugal

The Portuguese were never part of the web of alliances that in the summer of 1914 turned a localized Balkan crisis into a global conflict. Yet Lisbon’s colonies in Angola and Mozambique, which bordered German South West Africa (Namibia) and German East Africa (Tanzania), eventually drew Portugal into the war on the Allies’ side. From the beginning of hostilities, Germany supplied arms to Angola’s rebellious border tribes. Lisbon ordered the seizure of German ships in reprisal and the Kaiser formally declared war on March 9, 1916. In August 1916, the first 30,000 men of the Corpo Expedicionário Português (CEP) were placed under the command of British army in France and Belgium; this number doubled within a few months. By May of 1917, Portuguese troops were in action on the Western Front where they served with distinction. Eventually, mounting casualties led to several exhausted CEP units to threaten mutiny. In response, the British high command planned to send the corps to the rear for an extended furlough; a German attack kept the Portuguese in the front line. What was left of the battered CEP was further decimated by constant German bombardment, but the division continued to fight courageously and took part in both the Battle of the Lys (April 1918) and the Hundred Days Offensive (August-November 1918) which ended the war. — Total dead 2,160, wounded 5,224

Romania

Despite being related to Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, Romania’s King Ferdinand I favoured the Allied cause, declaring war on the Central Powers not once, but twice. Ferdinand’s support for Britain, France and Russia stemmed from his desire to annex the Princedom of Transylvania, whose population had an ethnically Romanian majority but was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. To this end, the Romanians invaded Transylvania just a few hours after declaring war on Aug. 27, 1916. The campaign was a disaster. By December 1916, an Austro-Hungarian counter-offensive captured Bucharest, the Romanian capital, while Bulgaria, Austria’s ally, seized Romania’s southern provinces of Wallachia and Dobruja. Romania was forced to surrender on Dec. 9, 1917; it was the Central Powers’ last victory in the East. By the autumn of 1918, it was clear that Romania’s enemies were nearing the point of collapse, so just 24 hours before the Armistice, Ferdinand re-entered the war on the Allied side and recaptured several key cities. This second declaration of war was undertaken to secure Romania a place at the forthcoming peace conference. It worked — all of Bucharest’s territorial demands were met, but it took another war (the Hungarian-Romanian War of 1919) before Ferdinand’s authority was established in Transylvania. — Total dead 335,706, wounded 120,000

Greece

Having fought two bitter conflicts against the Ottoman Turks and the Bulgarians in the years immediately preceding the Great War, Greece had no desire to become embroiled in yet another fight and declared neutrality in 1914. However, Bulgaria’s decision to join the Central Powers on Sept. 21, 1915 compelled the Greek prime minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, to request Allied help to defend his country’s northern border. An Anglo-French expeditionary force was promptly detached from the fighting in Gallipoli and sent to Thessalonica (Salonica), but the presence of these foreign troops on Greek soil was not universally popular among the local population. The country’s government soon split into pro-Allied and pro-neutral factions. Indeed, the ensuing political crisis led Greece’s King Constantine I (who himself had strong family ties to Germany) to dismiss his pro-Allied prime minister. But the defeat of Serbia by an Austro-Bulgarian army left Greece with little choice but to join the Western Powers, which it officially did on June 28, 1917. The first large scale deployment of Greek forces was in May 1918 at the Battle of Skra-di-Legen. By the end of the war, 10 Greek divisions were fighting on what became known as the Macedonian Front. After the Allied victory, Greece was promised a slice of the dismembered Ottoman Empire as a reward, but most of the former Ottoman territory ceded to Greece by the peace negotiations was recaptured by the new Turkish republic during the Graeco-Turkish War (1919-22). — Total dead 5,000, wounded 21,000.

Newfoundland & Labrador

The immense contributions to the Allied cause by the semi-independent British Dominions of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada are well documented. Less well known however is the part played by Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1907, these two long-time British colonies were granted Dominion status. Yet despite their proximity to Canada, both stayed out of the Canadian Confederation until 1949. Indeed, Newfoundland and Labrador were amalgamated into a single province within Canada only after accumulating substantial debts in both World Wars. In 1914, the sparsely populated region on the extreme north-eastern tip of North America had no armed forces to speak of. Nevertheless, following its declaration of war on Aug. 4, a regiment was immediately recruited for service in the British army. Known as the “Blue Puttees” thanks to their soldiers’ distinctive leg-wear, the Newfoundland Regiment took part in the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 before being transferred to the Western Front. The following year, the 800-strong regiment was virtually annihilated during the Battle of the Somme, with only 68 men surviving the bloody assault on Beaumont-Hamel. Yet despite losing more than 90 per cent of its strength, the regiment was reinforced and continued to serve with distinction. In 1917, the Newfoundland Regiment received the title ‘Royal’ in recognition of its service at Ypres and Cambrai and one Newfoundlander named Thomas Ricketts became the youngest soldier of the war to receive the Victoria Cross. — Total dead: 1,419 (includes 179 Royal Naval Reserve) wounded: 2,314

Liberia

In 1822, American philanthropists created the nation of Liberia as a refuge for freed slaves; Africa’s first republic was given independence in 1847. At the outbreak of the First World War, Liberia and Ethiopia were the only states in Africa not under the direct control of the European empires. Although Ethiopia was strong enough to remain neutral, it was an irony of history that Liberia’s dependence on Germany for her foreign trade pushed her into the war on the side of the Allies. The fighting in Europe meant the loss of Liberia’s crucial German markets and when the government in Monrovia sought to quell a series of tribal rebellions it could only buy arms from the United States, its former patron. When the U.S. formally entered the war in Europe in 1917, Liberia had little choice but to follow suit. After declaring war on Aug. 4, its first hostile act was to seize all German assets in the country, including a German signal station in Monrovia. It later sent a small detachment of soldiers to the Western Front. Though these troops did not see combat, Libera’s capital did. The city was shelled by a German U-Boat in June 1918. After the Armistice, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson tried to help Liberia rebuild its shattered economy, but the bill authorizing substantial loans was defeated in the U.S. Senate. — Total killed and wounded unknown

San Marino

When Italy joined the Allies and declared war on Austria-Hungary on May 23, 1915, the tiny Republic of San Marino, which is located inside Italy’s borders, hoped to remain neutral. The government in Rome however feared that its tiny landlocked neighbour might become a haven for enemy spies eager to use San Marino’s recently installed telegraph station. To counter this threat, Italy set out to bully the tiny republic into accepting an occupying force of carabinieri. When San Marino refused, Rome ordered all telegraph cables in and out of the territory cut. According to a contemporary report in the New York Times, by the Spring of 1915, San Marino caved to Italian pressure and finally declared war on Austria-Hungary. Reportedly, a number of Sammarinese did take part in World War One. Others who feared an Austrian conquest of Northern Italy joined the Italian army. Many served with distinction on the Austro-Italian Front, while others volunteered to work in the field hospitals run by the International Red Cross. — Total killed or wounded 13

Andorra

Just like San Marino, Europe’s other micro-states enjoyed mixed fortunes during the First World War. Neutral Luxembourg, which blocked Germany’s invasion of France, was occupied at the beginning of the war, but Lichtenstein and Monaco managed to preserve their non-combatant status. This neutrality notwithstanding, Prince Louis, the German-educated heir to Monaco’s throne, served in the French army, while the Allies placed an economic embargo on Lichtenstein owing to her close ties to Austria. Only Andorra joined the Allies — and this was, by virtue of the country’s curious constitution whereby the French president is also co-ruler of Andorra along with the Spanish Bishop of Urgell. Thus, when France went to war in 1914, so did Andorra. In truth, there was no possibility that the tiny Pyrenean principality would send the ten men of her part-time, ceremonial army to the Western Front. Yet there is a persistent story that Andorra remained officially at war with Germany because no representatives from the country were invited to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Whatever the truth of this tale, Andorra was the only European belligerent to suffer no casualties during World War One. — Total killed or wounded 0

Japan

Although allies with Great Britain since 1902, Japan’s chief reason for entering the war against Germany on Aug. 23, 1914 was to seize the Kaiser’s vulnerable possessions in China and the Pacific. Within weeks of the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, the Japanese army, along with British support, captured all of Germany’s territory in China’s Shandong peninsula and besieged the German naval base of Tsingtao (Qingdao). The blockade saw the world’s first naval-launched air raids, with sea planes from the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) seaplane-carrier Wakamiya bombing the German gunboat Jaguar and the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth. Meanwhile, in what would become a dress rehearsal for the Empire’s strategy in the Second World War, Japanese troops quickly overran the German-held Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall islands. Once the Kaiser’s presence in the Far East had been eliminated, 20 IJN ships were sent to the Mediterranean. Although no Japanese ground troops fought in Europe, the vessels provided invaluable assistance in the Allied navies’ anti-submarine and troop transport operations. — Total dead 415, wounded 907

Siam (Thailand)

The Rattanakosin Kingdom of Siam was the only nation in Southeast Asia to remain independent during the Colonial Era. And though there was some fighting in China, little of it affected Siamese territory or interests. Nevertheless, the kingdom’s ruler, Rama VI, saw the ‘War to End All Wars’ as a chance to strengthen his country’s position on the global stage while reining in the increasingly powerful Siamese military. Despite numerous pre-war attempts by Britain and France to divide Siam between themselves, Rama chose to join the Allies on July 22, 1917. It wasn’t until the following year though, on July 30, 1918, that a 1,300-man Siamese Expeditionary Force (SEF) landed in Marseille. Though the war ended three months later, the SEF served with distinction in both the Champagne and Meuse-Argonne offensives. After Germany’s surrender, Rama’s controversial decision to go to war was partially vindicated as both Britain and France abandoned their claims to Siamese territory. Yet, the king’s gamble failed to curb the power of the Siamese army. It continued to grow in strength and in 1932, it deposed Rama’s successor in a military coup. — Total killed 19, wounded unknown

China

Though Japanese violations of Chinese neutrality during the Tsingtao campaign caused widespread anger, China joined the Allies in hopes of recovering territory lost to Japan once the war was over. To be sure, China was too weak militarily to affect the course of the war, but more than 140,000 Chinese citizens ended up serving on the Western Front in non-combatant roles. Although the French had been recruiting Chinese workers since 1915, China’s official entry into the war on Aug. 14, 1917 turned the trickle of labourers into a flood. In total, 96,000 Chinese were employed by the British and 37,000 by the French and many were posted to battle areas where their duties included digging trenches, transporting ammunition and burying the thousands of dead. Indeed, many military cemeteries across France and Belgium were built by what became known as the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC). The British even awarded members of the CLC with their own medal. However, owing to trade union pressure, no Chinese were allowed to settle in the U.K. after the war and most were repatriated. By contrast, around 7,000 members of the CLC were allowed to remain in France and some fought for their adopted homeland during the Second World War. — Total killed and wounded 10,000 (estimated)

Brazil

At the start of the war, all of the independent nations of South America declared their neutrality. And while many countries developed pro-Allied sympathies, only Brazil played an active part in the conflict. Quite early on, the fighting in Europe caused severe disruption to Brazil’s global trade. For example, the United Kingdom stopped importing coffee from South America to free up the British merchant vessels to transport war materiel. But it was Germany’s decision to revive unrestricted submarine warfare that led to hostilities. The torpedoing of four Brazilian ships by German U-Boats prompted the national government to declare war on the Central Powers on Oct. 26, 1917. And while the country’s involvement in the fighting on land was limited — only an advance force of officers, pilots and medical staff reached the Western Front before the Armistice — Brazil’s navy played an important role in the battle against German submarines. From August 1918, the Divisão Naval em Operações de Guerra (DNOG) patrolled the Atlantic between Sao Paolo and Dakar in Senegal, which was then part of French West Africa. Brazil’s fleet is credited with sinking at least one enemy U-Boat. — Total killed 5 (all pilots), wounded unknown

The Central American States

A combination of pressure from the United States, as well as Germany’s decision to wage unrestricted submarine warfare on all shipping (including neutrals), prompted several Latin American nations to finally declare war on the Central Powers. Besides the United States, Britain and France’s new American allies included Cuba and Panama (both declared war on April 7, 1917), Guatemala (declared war on April 23, 1918), Nicaragua (declared war on May 6, 1918), Costa Rica (declared war on May 23, 1918), Haiti (declared war on July 12, 1918) and Honduras (declared war on July 19, 1918). None of these nations’ armies reached the Western Front before hostilities ended, but at least 10,000 Latin Americans had already volunteered to serve in British regiments. On Sept. 27, 1918, the British War Office issued Army Order No. 1067 which stated: “The King has been graciously pleased to approve of a special badge to be worn by those officers and soldiers who were residing in South America (including Central America and Mexico) at the outbreak of the war and who voluntarily came to this country to join the Army. The badge consists of the letters BVLA (British Volunteer Latin America) in a diamond worked in yellow on a blue ground.” In spite of this honour, the notorious penny-pinchers of Whitehall refused to pay for the volunteers’ passage home, which amounted to around 40 shillings (roughly £2) per person. — Total killed and wounded – as no separate records were kept, the precise numbers of BVLA volunteers killed or wounded in action is unknown

Nepal

Though this remote Himalayan kingdom never made a formal declaration of war on the Central Powers, more than 90,000 Nepalese ‘Gurkhas’ served in the British army during World War One. The United Kingdom’s recruitment of volunteers from the region has been a long-standing tradition, dating back to the end of the Anglo-Nepalese War (1816) and between 1914 and 1918 Gurkha regiments served with distinction in Flanders, Gallipoli, Palestine, Mesopotamia and the Persian theatre. During these campaigns, members of Gurkha regiments earned more than 2,000 awards for gallantry. These legendary fighters weren’t the only Nepalese to support the Allies. In addition to the Gurkha volunteers, the government in Kathmandu sent 7,500 men from the national army to assist the British and, by the time of the Armistice, around 14,000 Nepalese soldiers were stationed in British India. These troops were mainly employed as border patrols, but this allowed the British and Indian Army units normally engaged in these duties to be transferred to the Western Front. — Total killed and wounded approximately 20,000

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Anderton is the author of The Devilstone Chronicles, a new series of historical novels set during the Italian Wars of the 16^th Century. Volume 1, The Devil’s Band, uses as its backdrop the true story of Richard de la Pole’s attempts to depose Henry VIII and restore the House of York to the English throne whilst Volume II, The Devil’s Lance, features the historical Dracula’s grandson and a plot to steal the spear used at The Crucifixion from the treasury of the Holy Roman Emperor. Both books are available from Amazon in either paperback or eBook formats and there’s more information about these titles together with the soon-to-be-published third volume The Devil’s Pearl, on Richard’s website: www.thedevilstonechronicles.com