ETSU history professor Dr. Melvin E. Page has recently completed a 30-year project with the publication of his book The Chiwaya War: Malawians and the First World War.
The in-depth book investigates the societal changes the South Central African country of Malawi, formerly known as Nyasaland, underwent as the British laid a controlling hand on the country and used it as a transit point during World War I.
“Countries like France and Britain used Africa as a reservoir for manpower and resources during World War I,” Page said. Many people might not realize this fact, he added, because it is never really given justice in the textbooks.
“World War I in Africa has been largely ignored in history books,” he said. Malawi was a labor reserve or a military reserve for recruiting laborers and soldiers, so it played a fairly large role in the war.
From 1891 to 1964 the country was under British rule, and for a small country like Malawi, Page said, the first world war was a hugely “modern” experience.
“It brought for the first time the clear implications of what colonial rule meant,” Page said.
Although the casualty rate in Malawi was much lower than in European countries, he said. ” It was the most war experience that the country had had up until that time.”
The book began as a graduate school seminar paper, expanded to a Michigan State University doctoral thesis and then continued to develop until it became Page’s fourth book. It was based on archival research in Malawi and a vast number of interviews and questionnaire responses from Malawians as to what they remember about the period.
Page wrote The Chiwaya War: Malawians and the First World War so that it would be recognizable to both African scholars as well as understandable and accessible to Malawians themselves.
“My greatest concern,” said Page, “is how difficult it is for Malawians to have access to books.”
Therefore, Page has made many efforts to make copies of the book available to residents of the country who would like to know more about their country’s heritage.
At ETSU, Page teaches world history and historical methods.
He received his Ph.D. in African history from Michigan State University, his MA in African studies from Howard University and his BA in international relations from American University.
He has also researched and taught as a Fulbright professor in Malawi and South Africa, and is a former chair of ETSU’s history department.

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