This book explores the economic development of the northern Chinese city of Qingdao, which was held by Germany as a colony from 1898 to 1914. It focuses especially on the economic polices of the German colonial government and of the provincial government of the neighbouring Chinese province of Shandong, considering amongst other issues free trade and protection, the impact of the Gold Standard and assistance given to particular companies. The book shows how the Qingdao and Shandong economies fitted into overall East Asian and global trade patterns and how during this period these economies became more fully integrated into the world economy. The book concludes by discussing how although there was a great deal of co-operation between the Qingdao and Shandong governments, there were also growing tensions.

Famed historian and author of the groundbreaking "The Case for Colonialism" demonstrates that, contary to modern presuppositions, German colonialism from its early roots to the mid-twentieth century was overall a force for good in the world where development was encouraged and native governance flourished. Historian and university professor, Bruce Gilley, delves into the history of German colonialism from its earliest roots through the 20th century, demonstrating that contrary to modern presuppositions, it served as a global force for good—elevating the lives of its subjects and encouraging scientific development while allowing native cultures to flourish within its governance.

The first collection of interdisciplinary and comparative studies focusing on diverse interactions among African, Asian, and Oceanic peoples and German colonizers

Germany’s overseas colonial empire was relatively short lived, lasting from 1884 to 1918. During this period, dramatically different policies were enacted in the colonies: in Southwest Africa, German troops carried out a brutal slaughter of the Herero people; in Samoa, authorities pursued a paternalistic defense of native culture; in Qingdao, China, policy veered between harsh racism and cultural exchange. Why did the same colonizing power act in such differing ways? In The Devil’s Handwriting, George Steinmetz tackles this question through a brilliant cross-cultural analysis of German colonialism, leading to a new conceptualization of the colonial state and postcolonial theory. Steinmetz uncovers the roots of colonial behavior in precolonial European ethnographies, where the Hereros were portrayed as cruel and inhuman, the Samoans were idealized as “noble savages,” and depictions of Chinese culture were mixed. The effects of status competition among colonial officials, colonizers’ identification with their subjects, and the different strategies of cooperation and resistance offered by the colonized are also scrutinized in this deeply nuanced and ambitious comparative history.

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject History Europe - Germany - 1848, Empire, Imperialism, grade: 1-, The American Central University (Department of History), course: Empire in Comparative History, language: English, abstract: On November 14, 1897, German marines seized the bay of Kiautshou, a small territory on the North-Eastern province of China, Shandong. It was a sudden coup, conducted without any prior negotiations or warnings by the German side; however, in the same way it was knocked off and taken away by Japanese troops in 1914. During the seventeen years of German occupation, the German colonial administration under the guidance of the German Imperial Naval Office (Reichsmarineamt), spent huge sums of money and committed great personal efforts to transformed Kiautshou from a rural and underdeveloped area into a modern and prosperous German Model Colony (Musterkolonie). Kiautshou was not thought of to be a settler's colony but instead it was to become a naval base for Imperial Germany and an economic center for German industry and trade in East Asia. One of the main characteristics of Kiautshou was the idea of a model colony as a mean of representation and propaganda for Germany at home and abroad. The creation of a model colony was intended to demonstrate a specific German colonialism, where careful planning, professional execution, and public supervision were an example for a modern and enlightened imperial policy in contrast to the private and commercial interest led Anglo-Saxon model of imperialism. Therefore, the most advanced means and technologies of the time were applied to make Kiautshou a showcase to the world ("Schaufenster zur Welt").Schools, hospitals, city planning, railways and mines were established all according to German high standards at home. With time, Qingdao, the actual capital city of Kiautshou, became the "safest and cleanest city in whole East Asia," with the sixth largest port in China. In this regard Imperial Germany cr

This book explores imperial power and the transnational encounters of shipowners and merchants in the South China Sea from 1840 to 1930. With British Hong Kong and French Indochina on its northern and western shores, the ‘Asian Mediterranean’ was for almost a century a crucible of power and an axis of economic struggle for coastal shipping companies from various nations. Merchant steamers shipped cargoes and passengers between ports of the region. Hong Kong, the global port city, and the colonial ports of Saigon and Haiphong developed into major hubs for the flow of goods and people, while Guangzhouwan survived as an almost forgotten outpost of Indochina. While previous research in this field has largely remained within the confines of colonial history, this book uses the examples of French and German companies operating in the South China Sea to demonstrate the extent to which transnational actors and business networks interacted with imperial power and the process of globalisation.