. ▁Un ified ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁the ▁ch an cell or ▁of ▁this ▁time ▁period ▁was ▁Otto ▁von ▁B ism ar ck . ▁Short - l ived ▁attempts ▁of ▁colon ization ▁by ▁individual ▁German ▁states ▁had ▁occurred ▁in ▁preceding ▁centuries , ▁but ▁cru cial ▁colonial ▁efforts ▁only ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁with ▁the ▁Sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa . ▁Cla im ing ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁left - over ▁un colon ized ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁Sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa , ▁Germany ▁managed ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁third - larg est ▁colonial ▁emp ire ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁after ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁French . ▁ ▁Germany ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁its ▁colonial ▁emp ire ▁when ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁in ▁which ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁colon ies ▁were ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁weeks ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁However , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁German ▁colonial ▁military ▁units ▁held ▁out ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁longer : ▁German ▁South ▁West ▁Africa ▁surrender ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁K amer un ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁and ▁German ▁East ▁Africa ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁In ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁German ▁East ▁Africa , ▁the ▁def enders ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Paul ▁von ▁L ett ow - Vor beck , ▁had ▁engaged ▁a ▁gu err illa ▁war ▁against ▁British ▁colonial ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁forces ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁surrender ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war .