▁ ▁Germany ' s ▁colonial ▁emp ire ▁was ▁officially ▁conf isc ated ▁with ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Vers a illes ▁after ▁Germany ' s ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁each ▁col ony ▁became ▁a ▁League ▁of ▁Nations ▁mand ate ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁( but ▁not ▁ownership ) ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁vict orious ▁powers . ▁The ▁German ▁colonial ▁emp ire ▁ceased ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁Pl ans ▁to ▁reg ain ▁their ▁lost ▁colonial ▁poss essions ▁pers isted ▁through ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁with ▁many ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁suspect ing ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Reich ▁all ▁along . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁German ▁un ification ▁ ▁Until ▁their ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁un ification , ▁the ▁German ▁states ▁had ▁not ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁n avy , ▁and ▁this ▁essentially ▁had ▁pre cluded ▁German ▁participation ▁in ▁earlier ▁imperial ist ▁scr amb les ▁for ▁remote ▁colonial ▁territory ▁– ▁the ▁so - called ▁" place ▁in ▁the ▁sun ". ▁Germany ▁seemed ▁dest ined ▁to ▁play ▁catch - up . ▁The ▁German ▁states ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁had ▁retained ▁separate ▁political ▁structures ▁and ▁goals , ▁and ▁German ▁foreign ▁policy ▁up ▁to ▁and ▁including ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁Otto ▁von ▁B ism ar ck ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁resol ving ▁the ▁" G erman ▁question " ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁se cur ing ▁German ▁interests ▁on ▁the ▁continent . ▁However , ▁by ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁they ▁were ▁mostly ▁un ited ▁under