French First World War Mutiny

[muncy]

I've just come back from a visit to the First World War battlefields in France. I was interested in the mutiny by French soldiers in 1917. I had read that the mutiny was started by Senegalese soldiers so I was interested to know if they felt they were being unfairly treated by comparisson to the native French.

I know that at the height of the mutiny about 40000 soldiers were involved so it will not have just been the Senegalese who mutinied but I would be interested to hear from anyone who has any information about how the Senegalese viewed thier participation in the campaign.

I asked the guide at 'The Dragon's Cave' close to where the mutiny started but she was quite evasive and just said something about the the soldiers from Senegal not being used to the cold weather. Sensible answers welcome.

[Clanad]

One good description here:
http://crf-usa.org/bria/bria17_3.htm

[muncy]

Thanks Clannad. That is an interesting article, but there is no mention of the Senegalese. I find this interesting because, 90 years ago, people didn't travel around as they used to and I doubt if many of the soldiers from Senegal had ever been out of their country before. They must have been bewildered, frightened and cold. I wonder if they also felt that they were being given the most dangerous jobs to do? Is that what sparked them to mutiny?

It is a pretty emotive subject. I know a number of Australians who feel that their men were sacrificed on dangerous missions by British officers.

[Clanad]

Further research of this interesting event includes this excerpt contained in the book France at War; The History of the Tirailleurs Senegalais, the recruits from Senegal used by France in WWI:
There are instances in which Tirailleurs allegedly performed badly. Green African conscripts on the flank of a Canadian battalion panicked and ran during the first German gas attack of the war on 15 April 1915. Alistair Home's study of Verdun finds troops of the 27th Colonial Infantry Division deficient in performance. In fact, this division was sent into line at Verdun without its usual complement of officers and into a section of the line with no prepared trenches. And, at the Chemin des Dames (Second Battle of the Aisne), there were allegations of panic among elements of the II Colonial Corps. But there is no evidence that Tirailleur units participated in the widespread mutinies caused by the failed Neville Offensive of 1917. Indeed, several sources indicate that African troops were used extensively in sectors where mutinous metropolitan troops refused to serve.... The web site for the entire excerpt is here: http://www.worldwar1.com/france/tseng.htm
Good luck on the research!

[muncy]

Clannad, you are a gem!

[Octavius]

There is no doubt that for the colonial troops in Mangin's Army at Chemin des Dames, the weather was completely unsuitable, unaccustomed to the cold, rain and snow they were particularly hard hit, but I think this generalisation may make them scapegoats for the inherent incompetence of General Robert Nivelle and the french leadership and management of the offensive.

As Nivelle launched his second attempt (note the disaster of the first one) on the eastern end of the Chemin des Dames the first signs of indiscipline appeared at the western end of the front. A company at Laffaux refused to go up to the front line complaining about their general conditions and the mismanagement of the campaign.

The conditions under which the French soldiers served would have caused uproar in the British or German armies. Pay was poor, the food neither nourishing or of sufficient quantity and leave was difficult to obtain.

The use of decimation was still used in the French Army - shooting a number of men to encourage the others to be more vigorous in their attacks. Above all else, the French were fed up with the impossible battles they were asked to fight.

More here.....

http://www.webmatters.net/france/ww1_chemin.ht m