German Colonial Empire and the German Confederation

Following the conclusion of the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the territory that is now Germany gradually became divided into a significant number of smaller kingdoms. Before the unification of Germany, each of these kingdoms existed there. These kingdoms would provide the foundation upon which the German colonial empire would be established and act as its pillars. Despite this, the idea of a united German identity did not come into being until the nineteenth century. This was partly due to the independence of the princely states and the fact that the majority of people who the Holy Roman Monarch did not directly administer identified more closely with their prince than they did with the German emperor. 

The concept of having small or minor states inside the borders of an enormous empire was referred to as “praxis der kleinstaaterei.” The beginning of the Industrial Revolution saw an increase in transportation and communication, which eventually brought formerly isolated places closer to one another. Ultimately, this brought the globalisation of the economy. Because of this, the globe has become more interconnected.

The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved as a direct consequence of France’s loss. This occurred even though Germany had been victorious in the war against France. The emergence of nationalism at the turn of the nineteenth century gave birth to calls for more centralised authority by the middle of that century. This increase in nationalism started at the turn of the century.

Germany’s Colonial Empire

The term “German colonial empire” refers to all of the foreign colonies, dependencies, and territories under the direct administration of Imperial Germany. During this period, which corresponds to the early 1870s and the unification of Germany, Otto von Bismarck served as Germany’s chancellor. 

This time also coincides with the beginning of the German Empire. Even though various German governments had made brief efforts at colonisation in previous centuries, Bismarck resisted the urge to establish a colonial empire until the Scramble for Africa in 1884. This was the year when the Scramble took place. 

Germany rose to the position of the third-largest colonial power in the world when it did this by staking its claim on the bulk of the uncharted area in Africa. The British and the French were in first and second place, respectively. Samoa, several islands in the Micronesian group, the Northern region of New Guinea and Samoa were all parts of the German Colonial Empire. Additionally, vast portions of several African kingdoms were also a part of this empire.

In 1914, the First World War broke out, and during the first few weeks of the battle, Allied armies invaded every one of Germany’s territories throughout the world. As a direct consequence of this event, Germany could not maintain control over her colonial empire, which had been subject to her rule since 1871. 

Despite this, a few armed colonial soldiers continued to put up the opposition for a significant time. German soldiers surrendered in southwest Africa and Kamerun; nevertheless, forces led by Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck began a guerrilla struggle in East Africa that lasted until 1918 and held allied troops at bay until the end of the war. After the conclusion of the conflict, these troops admitted defeat and surrendered.

The dissolution of Germany’s colonial empire was a formal requirement of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which was signed after Germany’s defeat in the war. Following that, each colony was made into a League of Countries mandate and was put under the supervision (but not the jurisdiction) of one of the countries that had been victors in the war. 1919 was the year that signalled the end of German colonial rule over its former colonies. 

During the Second World War, nations that had lost control of their colonial territories formulated plans to regain control of those regions. Many individuals believed that the Third Reich was also working toward this objective.

Confederation of the German Federative States

The German Confederation existed from 1815 until 1866. The Congress at Vienna was responsible for establishing this union. Its goal was to safeguard not just the peace inside Germany but also the peace within the rest of the world and the independence of the many countries that make up Germany.

 The participants agreed to look out for one another in the event of a fight or other violent altercation. There were a few princes who did not have to do this duty. These were the lucky ones. These individuals were the Kings of England in their role as the Kings of Hanover, as well as the Dukes of the Netherlands and Denmark in their capacity as the Dukes of Luxembourg, Holstein, and Lauenburg, respectively. When it was initially established, The German Confederation consisted of nothing more than a haphazard grouping of individuals working together to offer each other mutual security.

The Historical States of Germany

The following are the historic states of Germany and their capitals

Several German princedoms agreed to merge into what is now known as Germany as part of a contract signed in 843 CE and given the name the Treaty of Verdun. Before the late 1800s, the average German citizen did not have a sense of German nationalism in their hearts and minds. While some realms were considered independent princely states, others were thought to be obedient to the Holy Roman Emperor.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Emperor Francis II of Holy Roman Empire abdicated his throne, leading to the end of the Holy Roman Empire. However, because of the extensive linguistic and cultural ties between the two groups, the administrative disruption has little impact on the areas of the country whose inhabitants speak German.

Conclusion

The unification of Germany was a watershed event in European history that caused a significant paradigm change in the continent’s political landscape. The other powers in Europe reacted to the arrival of a newly united Germany into the political landscape of Europe with various conflicting emotions, including astonishment, surprise, and dread. This was because of the magnitude of the event. Fear of going up against a new powerful foe whose military prowess was unrivalled by any European army at the time, the knowledge that a new state would alter the balance of power within continental Europe, and awe that historic states of Germany were constantly at odds with one another could band together to defeat a familiar foe in such a short period were all factors that contributed to the fall of the Holy Roman Empire.