German colonialism was slow and very late to the party. The sense of nationalism in Germany didn’t begin until after the Napoleonic Wars, which ended in 1815. Nationalism endured through wars and revolts. Otto von Bismarck became chancellor. In 1848, following a series of liberal revolutions, an all-German parliament was created. In 1871, Germany finally became a unified country after three wars between Austria and Prussia. Bismarck joined all the German states together, and soon Germany was one of the biggest military, industrial, and economical powers in Europe.
However, Germany in the late-1800s had no interest in colonization. They were barely a nation. The chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, thought colonizing would be a waste of resources. …show more content…
Nachtigal had been on a five-year journey from Lake Chad to the Nile, covering over 6000 miles. This made him the foremost German authority on Africa. He joined an organization that wanted to created German colonies in Africa.
On May 19, 1884, Nachtigal received orders from Chancellor Bismarck to go on the gunboat Möwe down the West coast of Africa, and acquire land for Germany. This wasn’t just because the German people had decided they wanted a colony; German traders were being forced out of West Africa by traders from other countries. Germany needed land in West Africa to keep German trading.
Germany already had some influence in West Africa. There was German trading all along the coast. Some areas of West Africa had German shipping companies that were in a good place to take the area for German. The Woermann shipping company in Kamerun was able to lay groundwork for Kamerun’s annexation by Germany. Nachtigal signed a treaty with the Duala tribe of Kamerun on July 14, 1884. He also signed treaties with Togo and …show more content…
Slavery was discussed in the German parliament for 11 years before they outlawed it in 1902. This new rule limited the slave trade, but existing slaves continued to be slaves. The law was good in theory, but in practice it was very hard for the German colonial administration to enforce the rule. They didn’t have enough military power in Kamerun, and the military power they did have wasn’t used to stop the trading of slaves. Instead, the colonial administration thought it would be better to use the troops to protect German traders. The colonial administration believed that in time, domestic slavery would fix itself and just go away. The Germans had also built large plantations that needed lots of labor, but traders and government officials also needed labor, so they all used the native people in Kamerun as forced labor. Many of their workers died. In the end, colonial involvement actually worsened the slavery problem rather than improving
However, Germany in the late-1800s had no interest in colonization. They were barely a nation. The chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, thought colonizing would be a waste of resources. …show more content…
Nachtigal had been on a five-year journey from Lake Chad to the Nile, covering over 6000 miles. This made him the foremost German authority on Africa. He joined an organization that wanted to created German colonies in Africa.
On May 19, 1884, Nachtigal received orders from Chancellor Bismarck to go on the gunboat Möwe down the West coast of Africa, and acquire land for Germany. This wasn’t just because the German people had decided they wanted a colony; German traders were being forced out of West Africa by traders from other countries. Germany needed land in West Africa to keep German trading.
Germany already had some influence in West Africa. There was German trading all along the coast. Some areas of West Africa had German shipping companies that were in a good place to take the area for German. The Woermann shipping company in Kamerun was able to lay groundwork for Kamerun’s annexation by Germany. Nachtigal signed a treaty with the Duala tribe of Kamerun on July 14, 1884. He also signed treaties with Togo and …show more content…
Slavery was discussed in the German parliament for 11 years before they outlawed it in 1902. This new rule limited the slave trade, but existing slaves continued to be slaves. The law was good in theory, but in practice it was very hard for the German colonial administration to enforce the rule. They didn’t have enough military power in Kamerun, and the military power they did have wasn’t used to stop the trading of slaves. Instead, the colonial administration thought it would be better to use the troops to protect German traders. The colonial administration believed that in time, domestic slavery would fix itself and just go away. The Germans had also built large plantations that needed lots of labor, but traders and government officials also needed labor, so they all used the native people in Kamerun as forced labor. Many of their workers died. In the end, colonial involvement actually worsened the slavery problem rather than improving