1. By:
GERMAN COLONIAL Jessica Baker
EMPIRE Brooke Boston
Bekah Bittle

2. WHAT IS A COLONY?
A colony is defined as, “a
region politically controlled by
a distant country; a
dependency”

3. THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA
Although colonialization happened in
several areas of the world, the most
dramatic changes took place in Africa
Many nations took part in what became
known as the “Scramble for Africa.”

4. LATE TO THE GAME
The new nation of Germany was late to the
colonial game.
Germany built only small empires.
Germany was not unified until 1871. It is only
after that time that Germans could think
about building an overseas empire.
An even then Germany did not immediately
set upon empire building, in part because
Bismarck did not see it as advisable.

5. WHY?
 Germany took colonies in 1880s for status
symbols. The German Empire in the late-19th
century acquired a number of scattered colonies in
both Africa and the Pacific.
 The German colonies were mostly largely unsettled
lands of little interest to the other European
powers.
 As a result unlike the other major European
countries, Germany did not have the opportunity to
carve out a large colonial empire.

6. WHERE?
 The Germans did join the grab for Africa, seizing
Camaroons, German East Africa (modern
Tanzania), Southwest Africa (modern Namibia)
(1884) and Togo.
 The Germans also seized a large also seized a large
area of the South Pacific, including northeastern
New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and island
groups to the northeast(the
Carolines, Marianas, Marshalls, and Samoa as well
as Nauru ) (1885-99).
 The Germans in addition seized a Chinese port city --
Tsingtau (1898).

7. DIFFERENT OPINION
 Other Germans, however, craved a colonial empire .
 The young Kaiser Wilhelm II in particular wanted
both a modern high seas fleet and colonial empire.
 The Kaiser began building a modern navy, but the
potential for empire was limited because much of
the world had already been carved up by the older,
established colonial powers.

8. LOST POWER
 Germany did not retain its new colonies very
long.
 After World War I broke out, Britain's command
of the sea allowed it to seize the various
German colonies.

9. VERSAILLES TREAT Y
 The Versailles Treaty stripped Germany of its
colonies assigning trusteeships to
Australia, Britain, Belgium, France, Japan, New
Zealand, and South Africa.
 Japan proceeded to fortify the Pacific islands it
obtained.
 Truk became the Gibraltar of the Pacific.
 While virtually unknown to the general public, these
islands became important in the World War II Pacific
campaign (1941-45).