▁Leg acy ▁▁ ▁Cont inu ity ▁th esis ▁▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁deb ated ▁the ▁" continu ity ▁th esis " ▁that ▁links ▁German ▁colonial ist ▁brut al ities ▁to ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁Jews , ▁Pol es ▁and ▁Rus si ans ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁Some ▁histor ians ▁argue ▁that ▁Germany ' s ▁role ▁in ▁south western ▁Africa ▁gave ▁rise ▁to ▁an ▁emphas is ▁on ▁ra cial ▁superior ity ▁at ▁home , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Naz is . ▁They ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁limited ▁success es ▁of ▁German ▁colonial ism ▁over se as ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁decision ▁to ▁shift ▁the ▁main ▁focus ▁of ▁German ▁expansion ism ▁into ▁Central ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Europe , ▁with ▁the ▁Mit tele uropa ▁plan . ▁German ▁colonial ism , ▁therefore , ▁turned ▁to ▁the ▁European ▁continent . ▁ ▁While ▁a ▁minor ity ▁view ▁during ▁the ▁Kaiser zeit , ▁the ▁idea ▁developed ▁in ▁full ▁swing ▁under ▁Er ich ▁Lud endor ff ▁and ▁his ▁political ▁activity ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁states , ▁Ukraine , ▁and ▁Poland . ▁Sub sequently , ▁after ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁Russia ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Germany ▁acquired ▁vast ▁territ ories ▁with ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Br est - L it ov sk ▁and ▁created ▁several ▁administrative ▁regions ▁like ▁Ober ▁Ost . ▁Here ▁also ▁the ▁German ▁settlement ▁would ▁be ▁implemented , ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁government al ▁organization ▁was ▁developed ▁to ▁serve ▁German ▁needs ▁while ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁local ▁eth n ically ▁diverse ▁population . ▁While ▁the ▁African ▁colon ies