• Monument honoring Martinicans who died for France during World War I

    Martinique during the First World War

    The First World War broke out while Martinique was still reeling from two major events in its history: the abolition of slavery and the eruption of Mount Pelée. Saint-Pierre, once the capital, had given way to Fort-de-France, and the island remained largely rural. The economy, centered on sugarcane, was suffering from the sugar crisis in Europe, yet this crop still covered most of the island’s farmland. The political situation was equally fragile. This study explores life in Martinique during the Great War.

    23 minutes

Conclusion

A total of 8,788 Martiniquais soldiers took part in the Great War. Of these, 1,876 never had the chance to set foot again on their native island, having fallen on the battlefields. As French citizens, they were fully integrated into the metropolitan French battalions—unlike soldiers from other French colonies such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, Indochina, and Madagascar.

These volunteers were driven by a desire to demonstrate their loyalty to the motherland and to prove they were fully French—even if it meant paying the “blood tax.” This tax was proposed in colonies (other than the Antilles), offering citizenship in exchange for men going to fight alongside the Allies and defend France

After a terrible, long war fought far from their homeland, Martiniquais soldiers witnessed the worst atrocities in the trenches, side by side with soldiers from around the world. With them, they embraced the causes of the nation they had come to defend. Having answered the call, they felt fully French—a sentiment shared by those who remained on the island, working under harsh conditions to support the production of rum. The morning rum ration given to Martiniquais soldiers remained a symbolic and unbreakable link to their native land.