The First World War, also known as the Great War or ironically as the \u201cwar to end all wars\u201d, was a global conflict that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. It was a war between two major coalitions: the Allies, which included countries such as Great Britain, France, Russia and later the United States, and the Central Powers, mainly comprising Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This devastating war did not leave the Union of South Africa untouched. The government of Louis Botha decided in August 1914 that the country should participate in the war on the British side against Germany and its allies. It was unacceptable for Afrikaners that, as President M.T. Steyn said, \u201cconcentration camp children\u201d had to fight on the side of the British against Germany, which was sympathetic to them just a few years earlier in the Anglo-Boer War (1899\u20131902). The result was the Rebellion of 1914 to 1915, which took place locally and caused serious rifts among Afrikaners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there were also many Afrikaners who joined other South Africans to participate in the war as members of the South African government troops or volunteers, and rendered excellent service. Some of them were young men who saw it as an opportunity to earn an income for their families who were impoverished after the Anglo-Boer War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, more than 146 000 white, 83 000 black and 2 500 coloured and Indian South Africans took part in World War I in German South-West Africa, East Africa, the Middle East and Europe. More than 7 000 of them died, approximately 12 000 were wounded and eight were awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of all the battles in which they participated, the most famous probably is the Battle of Delville Wood in France. More on that sometime in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the bloodiest battles also took place in Flanders (Belgium). Today, tours of these battlefields and military cemeteries are a major tourist industry. Military enthusiasts, but also descendants of people who fought and died there, visit to pay their respects to the fallen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The largest Commonwealth cemetery on the Western Front in Flanders is Tyne Cot \u2013 11 953 fallen are buried there, including 90 South Africans. Due to the nature of the fighting that took place in this area, the remains of many of the dead have never been found or buried, or the place where they had been laid to rest was forgotten. As a result, a memorial was also erected in Tyne Cot to commemorate these missing soldiers, displaying the names of 34 991 of them.<\/p>\n\n\n