Ruling Classes and Serving Races: German Policies on Land, Labor, and Migration in Trans-Imperial Perspective

Abstract

The United States figured prominently in German imperial discourse and served as an example to German scholars, politicians, and policy makers. But German imperialists did not limit themselves to one specific reference point. Instead, they sought directions and practical advice from various places. And while they invested in the transfer of ideas and concepts from one context to another, it was generally the local administration who determined how policies were implemented and what actions were taken. Focusing on two regions—the Prussian East and German Southwest Africa—this paper unravels the circulation of ideas and policies on land, labor, and migration within and beyond the German Empire. Showing that imperial influencing took place in a setting that encompassed overseas and continental empires, it puts German imperialism in a global context and demonstrates how agrarian labor regimes were rearranged along ethnic and racial lines.