In the summer of 1915, the Western powers paid a heavy price in the smoke of the First World War, and countless young and middle-aged people died on the battlefield, leaving behind a devastated body. The war has devoured manpower, and there is a severe shortage of labor. As a "neutral country", China** made a decision in early 1916 to begin sending Chinese laborers to France to fill the gap caused by the war.
The Chinese workers signed a three- to five-year contract with the authorities, specifying the scope of work and remuneration. Wage earners receive half of their salaries, and the other half is paid to their families back home. At the time, it was undoubtedly a promising income**. Workers arriving in Europe are required to be disinfected and bathed before boarding the ship to protect their health. They were also given numbered tunics, trousers, belts and underwear, straw hats, shoes and socks to ensure their identity and belonging. In addition, blankets, bedding, drinking glasses and iron rice bowls are uniformly equipped with kits to cope with life in a foreign country. Before leaving the country, they were also concentrated in Weihai and other places for a little military training to enhance their discipline and team spirit.
By the summer of 1916, Britain had also begun to recruit Chinese workers. This move was not just a simple export of labor, but also closely linked China's fate to that of the Entente. The export of Chinese laborers provided an opportunity for China to directly declare war, participate in post-war peace conferences, and recover sovereignty.
On August 14, 1917, China's Beiyang officially declared war on Germany and Austria, but did not send troops to participate in the war, and still adopted the strategy of "replacing soldiers with work".
This is a record of history, and it is also an interweaving of human destinies. The Chinese workers left their homeland and shouldered the heavy responsibilities of their families, and they contributed their strength to the victory of the war with their hands and sweat. Their efforts have not only changed their own lives, but also changed China's status on the international stage to a certain extent. It's a forgotten piece of history, but it's deeply influencing us today.