A Pacific power : liberal imperialism in German Samoa / Matthew P. Fitzpatrick.

Author/creator Fitzpatrick, Matthew P. author.
Format Book
PublicationOxford : Oxford University Press, [2025]
Copyright Date©2025
Descriptionviii, 284 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Subjects

SeriesOxford studies in modern European history
Abstract Before the First World War Germany was a global empire with colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Formally annexed to this empire in 1900 was Samoa, a thriving Polynesian trading hub which had previously been the site of conflict between Britain, Germany, and the United States. A Pacific Power reorients German imperial history towards Polynesia, emphasising the too often overlooked importance of the Pacific to German attempts to globalise their economy, culture, and military reach. Charting the course of German rule, it examines the nature of relations between Samoans and Europeans and studies the dynamics of the imperial struggle for sovereignty. It shows how, when the Samoans continued to assert their rights, German colonial authorities used a range of coercive strategies to reconfirm the principle of German primacy. It also reveals when and why German officials were forced to control the actions of their own more radical settlers, many of whom believed that their governors privileged Samoan needs over their own. A Pacific Power examines Germany's strategies of imperial rule and Samoan methods of resisting and co-opting German institutions. It investigates how German rule transformed Samoa and altered German culture and politics. It shows how Samoa brought Germany into conflict not only with Britain and the United States, but also China, New Zealand, and the Vatican. Laying bare the exploitative and racist nature of German colonial labour practices, it also uncovers the social and cultural experiments of a colony that treated matters of sexuality, race, and religion in often unexpected ways.
General noteIncludes index.
ISBN9780198936275
ISBN0198936273

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