▁" C rown ▁Col ony ▁Crime a - T aur ida ". ▁His ▁goal ▁was ▁for ▁all ▁the ▁colon ists ▁of ▁Russia ▁( s ou thern ▁Ukraine , ▁B ess arab ia , ▁Crime a ) ▁to ▁sett le ▁under ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁Germany ▁in ▁the ▁Crime a . ▁Further , ▁W ink ler ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁this ▁col ony ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁grant ing ▁of ▁German ▁national ity ▁to ▁the ▁colon ists . ▁ ▁W ink ler ▁presented ▁his ▁plan ▁to ▁Friedrich ▁von ▁Lin de qu ist , ▁the ▁settlement ▁politician ▁and ▁former ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State , ▁Er ich ▁Lud endor ff , ▁first ▁General ▁Qu arter master ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Army ▁Command , ▁and ▁government ▁officials ▁in ▁Berlin ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁His ▁proposal ▁would ▁have ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁colonial ▁state ▁by ▁Germany ▁with ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁naval ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁Crime a . ▁This ▁German ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁would ▁have ▁resulted ▁in ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁German ▁influence ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁ ▁After ▁an ▁initial ▁expression ▁of ▁interest ▁the ▁plan ▁it ▁was ▁rejected ▁by ▁the ▁Priv y ▁Council , ▁on ▁ 2 ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁stating ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁event ual ity ▁of ▁war ▁Germany ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁col ony . ▁W ink ler ' s ▁proposal ▁for ▁a ▁mass ▁natural ization ▁of ▁the ▁colon ists ▁was ▁also ▁rejected ▁due ▁to ▁German