Student Question
Why did Germany colonize New Guinea?
Quick answer:
Germany colonized New Guinea primarily due to the era's prevailing European imperialist mindset, viewing it as a logical step for a powerful nation. Despite lacking significant strategic or economic value, and facing domestic opposition, Germany sought to establish itself as a colonial power following its recent unification. The hope for economic profit was not realized, leading to government subsidies to support struggling companies in the colony.
Between 1884 and 1914, the northeastern part of New Guinea and some of the nearby islands were under German control and known simply as German New Guinea.
The Germans had no strong reason for taking over the region. Many Germans, in fact, were against it. It had little strategic value, and as the German High Command pointed out, "it was too far away to have any military use." There was the hope, of course, that companies would make big profits there, but it never panned out like that. Before long, the government was having to subsidize the companies to keep them afloat.
From this perspective, it appears that the Germans' biggest motivation for colonizing the region was that it was the next logical step for any powerful European nation to take. Remember, at that point, Germany had been a unified country for just over ten years.
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