German Colonialism and Its Legacies

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Bismarck once declared that, as long as he was Imperial Chancellor, Germany would not pursue a colonial policy. He was mistaken. Colonialism would fundamentally shape the German Empire as well as the diverse places and peoples it colonized. The legacies of colonial rule remain critically important today. Between 1884 and 1918, Germany would establish colonies in Togo, Cameroon, Southwest Africa, East Africa, China, and on islands across the Pacific. During this comparatively brief period, colonialism transformed both the German Empire and its overseas possessions in radical, often horrifically violent, ways. This course will examine why the German Empire embarked on a policy of colonial expansion, how Berlin laid claim to such vast territories far from Central Europe, and the complex ways in which German colonial states and colonized societies interacted with each other. It will examine how colonialism reshaped political structures, cultures, religions, economies, national identities, notions of race, and ideas about gender in both Germany and colonized societies. Finally, it will explore the profound legacies of colonialism which continue to shape Germany, its former colonies, and their contemporary relations.