A French map of Africa, c. 1911 (PD). By the time World War I broke out, Britain and France collectively controlled 45% of Africa’s population. Germany, late to the show, held on to 9%.

France's armed forces ministry has provided local authorities with a guide to 100 Africans who fought for France in World War Two, so that streets and squares may be named after them.

At the start of World War II, the French mobilized what was then the largest and reputed to be the strongest army in the world. However, the 5 million men proved unable to stop the German ...