▁ 1 , 0 8 5 , 1 2 4 ▁em igr ants ▁between ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁ 1 , 0 0 7 , 5 7 4 ▁head ed ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁When ▁the ▁imperial ▁government ▁invited ▁the ▁ 2 2 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁mobil ized ▁to ▁sub due ▁the ▁Her eros ▁to ▁sett le ▁in ▁German ▁South - West ▁Africa , ▁and ▁offered ▁financial ▁aid , ▁only ▁ 5 % ▁accepted . ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁colonial ▁population ▁number ed ▁ 5 , 1 2 5 ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁and ▁about ▁ 2 3 , 5 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁The ▁German ▁pre – World ▁War ▁I ▁colonial ▁population ▁consisted ▁of ▁ 1 9 , 6 9 6 ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁colon ies ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁including ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁police ▁and ▁soldiers , ▁and ▁ 3 , 8 0 6 ▁in ▁K ia och ow ▁( 1 9 1 0 ), ▁of ▁which ▁ 2 , 2 7 5 ▁were ▁n avy ▁and ▁military ▁staff . ▁In ▁Africa ▁( 1 9 1 3 ), ▁ 1 2 , 2 9 2 ▁Germ ans ▁lived ▁in ▁South west ▁Africa , ▁ 4 , 1 0 7 ▁in ▁German ▁East ▁Africa ▁and ▁ 1 , 6 4 3 ▁in ▁Cam ero on . ▁In ▁the ▁Pacific ▁colon ies ▁in