▁Pr uss ian ▁rule . ▁They ▁also ▁sought ▁a ▁more ▁clear ▁cut ▁" G erman " ▁state , ▁and ▁saw ▁colon ies ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁way ▁to ▁achieve ▁that . ▁ ▁Sc ram ble ▁for ▁colon ies ▁▁ ▁Many ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁viewed ▁colonial ▁ac quis itions ▁as ▁a ▁true ▁indic ation ▁of ▁having ▁achieved ▁nation hood . ▁Public ▁opinion ▁eventually ▁arrived ▁at ▁an ▁understanding ▁that ▁pr estig ious ▁African ▁and ▁Pacific ▁colon ies ▁went ▁hand - in - hand ▁with ▁dream s ▁of ▁a ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et . ▁Both ▁asp ir ations ▁would ▁become ▁reality , ▁n urt ured ▁by ▁a ▁press ▁re ple te ▁with ▁Kol onial fre unde ▁[ supp or ters ▁of ▁colonial ▁ac quis itions ] ▁and ▁by ▁a ▁my ri ad ▁of ▁ge ographical ▁associations ▁and ▁colonial ▁soci eties . ▁B ism ar ck ▁and ▁many ▁deput ies ▁in ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁had ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁colonial ▁con quest s ▁merely ▁to ▁ac quire ▁square ▁miles ▁of ▁territory . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁R hen ish ▁Arist ocr ats ▁attempted ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁German ▁col ony ▁in ▁the ▁independent ▁state ▁of ▁Texas . ▁about ▁ 7 4 0 0 ▁sett lers ▁were ▁involved . ▁Ar ound ▁half ▁of ▁them ▁died , ▁the ▁vent ure ▁was ▁a ▁complete ▁failure . ▁A ▁constant ▁lack ▁of ▁supplies ▁and ▁land ▁didn ' t ▁help , ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁Texas ▁joined ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁In ▁ess