omon ▁Islands . ▁These ▁islands ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁prote ctor ate . ▁ ▁Company ▁land ▁ac quis itions ▁and ▁ste ward ship ▁▁ ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁German ▁imperial ism ▁and ▁colonial ism ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁latter ▁stages ▁of ▁the ▁" Sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa " ▁during ▁which ▁enter pr ising ▁German ▁individuals , ▁rather ▁than ▁government ▁entities , ▁competed ▁with ▁other ▁already ▁established ▁colon ies ▁and ▁colonial ist ▁entrepr ene urs . ▁With ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁joining ▁the ▁race ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁un chart ed ▁territ ories ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁that ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁been ▁car ved ▁up , ▁competition ▁for ▁colon ies ▁thus ▁involved ▁major ▁European ▁nations ▁and ▁several ▁less er ▁powers . ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁effort ▁included ▁the ▁first ▁commercial ▁enter pr ises ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁in ▁West ▁Africa , ▁East ▁Africa , ▁the ▁Sam o an ▁Islands ▁and ▁the ▁un expl ored ▁north - east ▁quarter ▁of ▁New ▁Guinea ▁with ▁adjacent ▁islands . ▁German ▁trad ers ▁and ▁mer ch ants ▁began ▁to ▁establish ▁themselves ▁in ▁the ▁African ▁Cam ero on ▁delta ▁and ▁the ▁main land ▁coast ▁across ▁from ▁Z anz ib ar . ▁At ▁Ap ia ▁and ▁the ▁settlement s ▁Fin sch h afen , ▁Sim pson h afen ▁and ▁the ▁islands ▁Neu - P omm ern ▁and ▁Neu - Me ck len burg , ▁trad ing ▁companies ▁newly ▁fort ified ▁with ▁credit ▁began ▁expansion ▁into ▁coast al ▁land hold ing .