Rethinking German Colonialism in a Global Age

Abstract

Recent years have seen a sudden upsurge of scholarly interests in German colonialism. The German overseas empire, founded in 1884 and defunct in 1915, lasted a mere 30 years, and was thus one of the most short-lived of all modern colonialisms. Consequently, it has not occupied centre-stage in most accounts, either of European imperialism or of German history itself. The colonial experience was deemed marginal and insignificant, compared to the long histories of other empires. But in recent years, there has been a marked upsurge of scholarly interests in German colonialism. While much of the historiography of the German empire remains tied to the national history paradigm, recent developments have begun to move beyond a framework that treats Germany and her colonies as separate entities. This article takes up the issue and explores the ways in which we stand to gain from inserting Germany's colonial past more thoroughly in a global context. Rethinking German colonialism in a global age, it argues, allows us to see more clearly the imperial dimensions of German history. It brings into relief the colonial dimensions of German rule in Eastern Europe, moves the focus beyond the formal protectorates and helps us recognise the way in which Germany was one empire among others. Analytically, a global history perspective emphasises synchronic contexts, beyond the boundaries of formal territorial rule, instead of assuming longstanding continuities within the empire. And inserting the Kaiserreich into the larger global context also moves analysis beyond a strictly internalist framework. Forces and actors within and beyond the empire have contributed to the trajectories of imperial Germany.