▁resources , ▁indicating ▁Germany ▁threatened ▁western ▁civil isation ▁itself . ▁Sm uts ' ▁warnings ▁were ▁repeated ▁in ▁the ▁press . ▁The ▁idea ▁took ▁hold ▁that ▁they ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁returned ▁to ▁Germany ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Conf is cation ▁ ▁Germany ' s ▁over se as ▁emp ire ▁was ▁dis m ant led ▁following ▁defeat ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁With ▁the ▁con cluding ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Vers a illes , ▁Article ▁ 2 2 , ▁German ▁colon ies ▁were ▁transformed ▁into ▁League ▁of ▁Nations ▁mand ates ▁and ▁divided ▁between ▁Belg ium , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁and ▁certain ▁British ▁Domin ions , ▁France ▁and ▁Japan ▁with ▁the ▁determ ination ▁not ▁to ▁see ▁any ▁of ▁them ▁returned ▁to ▁Germany ▁— ▁a ▁guarantee ▁secured ▁by ▁Article ▁ 1 1 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁Africa , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁France ▁divided ▁German ▁K amer un ▁( Cam ero ons ) ▁and ▁T og ol and . ▁Belg ium ▁gained ▁Ru anda - U rund i ▁in ▁north western ▁German ▁East ▁Africa , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁obtained ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁greater ▁land mass ▁of ▁this ▁col ony , ▁thus ▁gain ing ▁the ▁" missing ▁link " ▁in ▁the ▁chain ▁of ▁British ▁poss essions ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁South ▁Africa ▁to ▁Egypt ▁( C ape ▁to ▁C airo ), ▁and ▁Portugal ▁received ▁the ▁K ion ga ▁Tri angle , ▁a ▁s liver ▁of ▁German ▁East ▁Africa . ▁German ▁South - West ▁Africa ▁was ▁taken ▁under ▁mand ate ▁by ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁In ▁terms