▁of ▁Nations ▁as ▁"' res id u ary ▁trust ee ' ▁for ▁the ▁[ G erman ] ▁colon ies " ▁captured ▁and ▁occupied ▁by ▁" rap a cious ▁conquer ors ". ▁The ▁vict ors ▁retained ▁the ▁German ▁over se as ▁poss essions ▁and ▁did ▁so ▁with ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁Australian , ▁Belg ian , ▁British , ▁French , ▁Japanese , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁Portuguese ▁and ▁South ▁African ▁rule ▁was ▁superior ▁to ▁Germany ' s . ▁Several ▁dec ades ▁later ▁during ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁then ▁existing ▁colonial ▁emp ires , ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁A si ans ▁c ited ▁the ▁same ▁arguments ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁against ▁German ▁colonial ▁rule ▁— ▁they ▁now ▁simply ▁demanded ▁" to ▁stand ▁by ▁themselves ". ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁some ▁individuals ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁Col onial ▁Society ▁fought ▁for ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁colonial ism . ▁S ett lement ▁in ▁Africa ▁was ▁not ▁popular ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁focus ▁for ▁Hitler . ▁Est ab lished ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁the ▁Reich sk ol onial bund ▁under ▁Franz ▁Ritter ▁von ▁E pp ▁absor bed ▁all ▁colonial ▁organizations ▁and ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁raise ▁pro - colon ial ▁sent iments , ▁public ▁interest ▁in ▁former ▁German ▁colon ies , ▁and ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁political ▁ag itation . ▁However , ▁with ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁organization ▁entered ▁a ▁decl ine , ▁before ▁being ▁dis band ed ▁by ▁dec ree ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁for