▁and ▁l ament ed ▁his ▁nation ' s ▁position ▁as ▁colonial ▁follow ers ▁rather ▁than ▁leaders . ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Cec il ▁Rh odes ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁he ▁stated ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁d ile m ma ▁clearly : ▁"...   G erm any ▁has ▁begun ▁her ▁colonial ▁enter prise ▁very ▁late , ▁and ▁was , ▁therefore , ▁at ▁the ▁dis adv antage ▁of ▁finding ▁all ▁the ▁des irable ▁places ▁already ▁occupied ." ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁colon ists ▁included ▁people ▁like ▁Carl ▁Peters ▁who ▁brut al ized ▁the ▁local ▁population . ▁ ▁Non eth eless , ▁Germany ▁did ▁assemble ▁an ▁over se as ▁emp ire ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁( see ▁List ▁of ▁former ▁German ▁colon ies ) ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ; ▁" the ▁creation ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁colonial ▁emp ire ▁proceeded ▁with ▁the ▁minimum ▁of ▁fr iction ." ▁The ▁ac quisition ▁and ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁colon ies ▁were ▁accomplished ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁ways , ▁but ▁princip ally ▁through ▁merc ant ile ▁dom ination ▁and ▁pre text s ▁that ▁were ▁always ▁economic . ▁Ag re ements ▁and ▁treat ies ▁with ▁other ▁colonial ▁powers ▁or ▁interests ▁followed , ▁and ▁fee ▁simple ▁purch ases ▁of ▁land ▁or ▁island ▁groups . ▁Only ▁T og ol and ▁and ▁German ▁Sam oa ▁became ▁prof itable ▁and ▁self - su fficient ; ▁the ▁balance ▁sheet ▁for ▁the ▁colon ies ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁revealed ▁a ▁fis cal ▁net ▁loss ▁for ▁the ▁emp