An overview of Germany's naval and imperial activities in East Asia and the Pacific in the years leading up to the First World War.This book examines German attempts to acquire colonial territories in East Asia and the Pacific, and discusses the huge impact this had on local and other international powers. It covers the German acquisition of Kiautschou in 1897, which had profound consequences for China, beginning a "scramble for concessions" by other western powers; the formation of the powerful German East Asiatic Cruiser Squadron which was seen by the British as a major threat, andwhich resulted in the advent of the Fleet-Unit concept and the birth of the Royal Australian Navy; the Japanese siege and capture of the key German base of Tsingtau in 1914, and the fate of the various former German colonies afterGermany's defeat in 1918. The book contains many illustrations from the author's extensive private collection. Charles Stephenson is an extensively published military historian, whose books include: Moel Famau and the Jubilee Tower of King George III (2008); Servant to the King for His Fortifications: Paul Ive and the Practise of Fortification (2008); The Admiral's Secret Weapon, published by Boydell in 2006; Fortifications ofthe Channel Islands, 1941-45: Hitler's Impregnable Fortress (2006); The Fortifications of Malta, 1530-1945 (2004); and Zeppelins: German Airships, 1900-1940 (2004).

IntroductionBismarck and Empire: 1885-1888. Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Marshall Islands and NauruThe Acquistion of Kiautschou: 1897China 1897-1914: Colonial Development and Political TurbulenceTectonic Shift 1: 1898-1899. Spain and the USA, Germany, Micronesia and SamoaTectonic Shift 2: 1902-1914. Japan and Russia, Britain and Dominion Defence, the United StatesWar. August 1914Naval Plans and Operations 1897-1914Kiautschou: Naval and Military Operations 22 August - 28 September 1914Tsingtau: Naval and Military Operations 28 September - 7 November 1914Aftermath