ises ▁contributed ▁to ▁changing ▁B ism ar ck ' s ▁view . ▁He ▁rel uct antly ▁acqu ies ced ▁to ▁ple as ▁for ▁help ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁revol ts ▁and ▁armed ▁host ilities ▁by ▁often ▁powerful ▁r ul ers ▁whose ▁luc r ative ▁sla ving ▁activities ▁seemed ▁at ▁risk . ▁German ▁native ▁military ▁forces ▁initially ▁engaged ▁in ▁do z ens ▁of ▁pun itive ▁exped itions ▁to ▁app reh end ▁and ▁pun ish ▁freedom ▁f igh ters , ▁at ▁times ▁with ▁British ▁assistance . ▁The ▁author ▁Charles ▁Miller ▁offers ▁the ▁theory ▁that ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁the ▁hand ic ap ▁of ▁trying ▁to ▁colon ize ▁African ▁areas ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁ag gress ive ▁tribes , ▁whereas ▁their ▁colonial ▁neighb ours ▁had ▁more ▁do cile ▁pe op les ▁to ▁cont end ▁with . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁German ▁pen chant ▁for ▁giving ▁mus cle ▁priority ▁over ▁p atience ▁contributed ▁to ▁continued ▁un rest . ▁Several ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁colon ies ▁remained ▁pow der ▁k eg s ▁throughout ▁this ▁phase ▁( and ▁beyond ). ▁The ▁transition ▁to ▁official ▁accept ance ▁of ▁colonial ism ▁and ▁to ▁colonial ▁government ▁thus ▁occurred ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁quarter ▁of ▁B ism ar ck ' s ▁ten ure ▁of ▁office . ▁ ▁G row th ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁sh ipping ▁lines ▁had ▁established ▁scheduled ▁services ▁with ▁re fr iger ated ▁holds ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁products ▁from ▁the ▁colon ies , ▁ex otic ▁f ruits ▁and ▁sp ices , ▁were ▁sold ▁to