Editing Fiji (section)

====World War I and II====
Fiji was only peripherally involved in World War I. One memorable incident occurred in September 1917 when Count [[Felix von Luckner]] arrived at [[Wakaya Island]], off the eastern coast of Viti Levu, after his raider, {{SMS|Seeadler|1915|6}}, had [[Ship grounding|run aground]] in the [[Cook Islands]] following the shelling of [[Papeete]] in the [[French colonial empire|French colony]] of [[Tahiti]]. On 21 September, the district police inspector took a number of Fijians to Wakaya, and von Luckner, not realising that they were unarmed, unwittingly surrendered.

Citing unwillingness to exploit the Fijian people, the colonial authorities did not permit Fijians to enlist. One Fijian of chiefly rank, a great-grandson of Cakobau, joined the [[French Foreign Legion]] and received France's highest military decoration, the [[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de Guerre]]. After going on to complete a law degree at [[Oxford University]], this same chief returned to Fiji in 1921 as both a war hero and the country's first-ever university graduate. In the years that followed, [[Lala Sukuna|Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna]], as he was later known, established himself as the most powerful chief in Fiji and forged embryonic institutions for what would later become the modern Fijian nation.

[[File:Flag of Fiji (1924–1970).svg|thumb|Flag of Fiji 1924–1970]]
By the time of World War II, the United Kingdom had reversed its policy of not enlisting natives, and many thousands of Fijians volunteered for the [[Fiji Infantry Regiment]], which was under the command of [[Edward Cakobau|Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau]], another great-grandson of Cakobau. The regiment was attached to New Zealand and Australian army units during the war. Because of its central location, Fiji was selected as a training base for the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. An airstrip was built at [[Nadi]] (later to become an international airport), and gun emplacements studded the coast. Fijians gained a reputation for bravery in the [[Solomon Islands campaign]], with one war correspondent describing their ambush tactics as "death with velvet gloves". Corporal [[Sefanaia Sukanaivalu]], of Yucata, was [[Posthumous award|posthumously]] awarded the [[Victoria Cross]], as a result of his bravery in the [[Bougainville campaign|Battle of Bougainville]].