▁" activity ▁irrelevant ▁to ▁the ▁war ". ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁hardly ▁any ▁special ▁t ies ▁between ▁modern ▁Germany ▁and ▁its ▁former ▁colon ies ; ▁for ▁example , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁post colon ial ▁league ▁compar able ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁Commonwealth ▁of ▁Nations ▁or ▁French ▁Franc oph onie . ▁In ▁stark ▁contrast ▁with ▁French ▁and ▁English , ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁widely ▁spoken ▁across ▁the ▁continent ▁by ▁those ▁of ▁both ▁African ▁and ▁European ▁ancest ry , ▁the ▁German ▁language ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁significant ▁language ▁in ▁Africa ▁even ▁within ▁former ▁colon ies — although ▁it ▁is ▁spoken ▁by ▁a ▁significant ▁minor ity ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Nam ib ia . ▁Germany ▁co oper ates ▁econom ically ▁and ▁cult ur ally ▁with ▁many ▁countries ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁Asia , ▁independent ▁of ▁colonial ▁history . ▁ ▁Administration ▁and ▁colonial ▁policies ▁ ▁Col onial ▁govern ments ▁▁ ▁B ism ar ck ' s ▁successor ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁Leo ▁von ▁Cap riv i , ▁was ▁willing ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁colonial ▁bur den ▁of ▁what ▁already ▁existed , ▁but ▁opposed ▁new ▁vent ures . ▁O thers ▁who ▁followed , ▁especially ▁Bern hard ▁von ▁Bü low , ▁as ▁foreign ▁minister ▁and ▁ch an cell or , ▁san ction ed ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁colon ies ▁and ▁provided ▁substantial ▁tre as ury ▁assistance ▁to ▁existing ▁prote ctor ates ▁to ▁employ ▁administr ators , ▁commercial ▁agents , ▁survey ors , ▁local ▁" pe ace keep ers " ▁and ▁tax ▁collect ors . ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁understood