The German colonial empire was a group of overseas territories acquired mainly in the 1880s, after the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who had earlier been sceptical about colonies, agreed to support commercial claims. The Berlin Conference of 1884 and 1885 regulated the European partition of Africa. Germany held colonies in Africa, namely Togoland, Kamerun, German South West Africa and German East Africa, as well as territory in the Pacific, such as German New Guinea and Samoa, and the Chinese port of Qingdao. Its rule was often harsh, most notably in the genocide of the Herero and Nama in South West Africa in the early twentieth century. Germany lost all its colonies after the First World War, and they were transferred to League of Nations mandates.
Before and after
- 1884Car
- 1884Founding of Leicester City F.C.
- 1884Publication of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- from 1884 to 1966Basutoland
- from 1884 to 1920German colonial empire
- 6 January 1884Death of Gregor Mendel
- from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885Siege of Khartoum
- 24 March 1884Birth of Peter Debye
- 8 May 1884Birth of Harry S. Truman
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 1799 to 1849Sikh Empire
- 6 February 1819Founding of modern Singapore
- from 1839 to 1876Tanzimat
- from 8 February 1861 to 1 May 1865Confederate States of America
- 1891Discovery of Gundestrup cauldron
- March 1900Arthur Evans begins digging at Knossos
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.