The Caribbean calm, global storm and new world order
EDITOR: World War I (also known as the Great War) occurred between July 28, 1914, and November 11, 1918. World War I profoundly affected the Caribbean by serving as a catalyst for political awareness, social unrest, and economic hardship, while also directly involving the region through massive manpower contributions to the British war effort and increased US strategic presence. Around 15,000 West Indians enlisted in the British West Indies Regiment (BWIR), serving primarily as labourers and facing severe discrimination, which fuelled post-war demands for better rights and eventual independence. The British West Indies Regiment (BWIR) was established in October 1915, this regiment included men from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, the Bahamas, British Honduras (now Belize), and other islands. The war disrupted shipping lanes, causing severe shortages of imported goods and sharply rising prices for food and necessities. Wages did not keep pace with inflation, leading to significant economic hardship for working-class populations.
Returning soldiers, disillusioned by the racism they experienced in the army and the treatment of their families at home, became leaders in local labour movements and political activism. The difficult economic conditions led to worker protests and riots in several islands, including Jamaica, Grenada, and Trinidad between 1918 and 1920. The war acted as a catalyst for the adoption of black nationalist ideology, partly influenced by Marcus Garvey, paving the way for the organized labour struggles of the 1930s.
The US, fearing a German presence in the region, took a more active role in the Caribbean. Purchase of the Virgin Islands:
In 1917, the U.S. purchased the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) for million to prevent Germany from taking them.
World War II transformed the Caribbean into a critical theater of war, primarily due to its strategic resources— oil and bauxite—and its proximity to the Panama Canal. While the region avoided major land battles, it faced a devastating naval campaign and massive social upheaval. Over 260 merchant ships were sunk in Caribbean waters in just nine months during 1942— a higher loss rate than even the North Atlantic convoy routes at the time. Because there were more than 6,000 men from the Caribbean volunteered for the RAF, and over 10,000 people travelled to Britain to work in munitions factories or as ground staff.
The Caribbean Regiment: Formed in 1944, this unit of 1,200 men was eventually sent to serve in Italy and Egypt, though many soldiers faced persistent racism and segregation within the British and U.S. military systems. About 900 forestry workers from British Honduras (now Belize) were sent to the Scottish Highlands to provide timber for the war effort, enduring extreme cold and poor working conditions Caribbean dependent on imported food, the sinking of merchant ships led to severe shortages. Britain traded leases for bases in territories like Antigua, St. Lucia, and Jamaica to the U.S. in exchange for warships.
This increased American influence in the region and weakened traditional British colonial control. These two war eventually lead to most Caribbean country seeking independence. St.Vincent and the Grenadines was deeply affected by World War II through the loss of personnel, severe economic disruptions caused by U-boat activity, and a resulting surge in nationalist sentiment that led to major political reforms.
German U-boats frequently targeted merchant vessels in the waters surrounding the Grenadines to disrupt supply lines. This led to a “shipping famine,” causing critical shortages of flour, kerosene, and medicine.
Scarcity drove prices to exorbitant levels. The shared sacrifice of the war years strengthened the argument for self-governance. In 1951, largely as a result of the political mobilization that accelerated during and after the war, St. Vincent and the Grenadines finally achieved Universal Adult Suffrage, allowing all adults the right to vote. Returning veterans brought back new perspectives on racial equality and labour rights, which fuelled the growth of the first modern political parties and labour unions on the island.
The United States is currently engaged in a massive global campaign to reassert its hegemony through direct military intervention and economic warfare.This began on January 3, 2026, when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and seized control of the nation’s oil infrastructure, signalling a return to ‘maximum pressure’ tactics in the region.
This regional aggression has since expanded into a coordinated fuel blockade of Cuba, intended to force regime change through economic strangulation.
Beyond the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. and Israel’s February 28, 2026, strike on Iran has further crippled global energy markets. For the Caribbean, the consequences are no longer theoretical; the use of military assets in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana as staging grounds for the Venezuelan operation has tied regional security directly to U.S. interests. Consequently, nations like Jamaica are now facing severe oil shortages and are considering national lockdowns to conserve dwindling energy supplies.
This interconnected ‘triple war’ (Venezuela-Cuba-Iran) is placing unbearable political and economic strain on Caribbean society, threatening both regional stability and national sovereignty.
Similarly to World War one and two the war between Israel, US and Iran will create a new world order that will transform the Caribbean including St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Brian Ellis Plummer
Comments
