▁and ▁west ward ▁to ▁the ▁Amer icas ); ▁and ▁North ▁German ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁mission aries ▁showed ▁interest ▁in ▁over se as ▁engag ements . ▁The ▁Han se atic ▁republic s ▁of ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁Bre men ▁sent ▁trad ers ▁across ▁the ▁glo be . ▁These ▁trad ing ▁houses ▁conducted ▁themselves ▁as ▁successful ▁Priv at kol on is ator en ▁[ in dependent ▁colon izers ] ▁and ▁concluded ▁treat ies ▁and ▁land ▁purch ases ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁with ▁chief s ▁and ▁or ▁other ▁trib al ▁leaders . ▁These ▁early ▁agre ements ▁with ▁local ▁entities ▁later ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁an nex ation ▁treat ies , ▁diplom atic ▁support ▁and ▁military ▁protection ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁government . ▁ ▁Ac quisition ▁of ▁colon ies ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁Col onial ▁emp ire ▁got ▁its ▁start ▁around ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁and ▁in ▁those ▁years ▁they ▁acquired ▁several ▁territ ories : ▁German ▁East ▁Africa , ▁German ▁South - West ▁Africa , ▁German ▁Cam ero on , ▁and ▁T og ol and ▁in ▁Africa . ▁Germany ▁was ▁also ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁an nex ing ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁islands ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁called ▁German ▁New ▁Guinea . ▁The ▁n ort he astern ▁region ▁of ▁New ▁Guinea ▁was ▁called ▁Kaiser - Wil hel ms land , ▁the ▁B ism ar ck ▁Arch ip el ago ▁to ▁the ▁islands ▁east , ▁this ▁also ▁contained ▁two ▁larger ▁islands ▁named ▁New ▁Me ck len burg ▁and ▁New ▁P omer ania , ▁they ▁also ▁acquired ▁the ▁Northern ▁Sol