doomed to disappointment. In the second
place Germany rejoiced at the arrival of a new enemy for Russia who
might keep the Russians occupied along their southern borders and so
weaken their efforts on other fronts.

GERMAN COLONIES IN THE PACIFIC.--During the first four months of the
war all of Germany's possessions in the Pacific were lost to her. On the
outbreak of the war, Australia and New Zealand promptly organized
expeditionary forces which attacked and captured the German colonies and
coaling stations situated south of the Equator. German Samoa, the first
to be taken, surrendered to the New Zealand expeditionary force August
29. The other German possessions in the South Pacific surrendered to the
Australians.

England's ally, Japan, having entered the war August 23, 1914, sent an
expeditionary force which captured and occupied the German islands in
the North Pacific. Kiaochow (kyou'ch[=o]'), Germany's only colony in China,
was captured by a combined Japanese and British force early in November.

The loss of these colonies so early in the war interfered seriously with
German plans for a war on Allied commerce by fast cruisers. In the
absence of German coaling stations, the only way such vessels could
obtain coal during a long raiding voyage, would be by the chance capture
of coal-laden vessels.

GERMAN COLONIES IN AFRICA.--During the last quarter century Germany
had succeeded in getting control of considerable territory in Africa.
There were few German colonists there. However, Germany hoped that the
Boers, who had recently fought a war with the British, and had been
defeated, would attempt to regain their independence. In this case there
was also the possibility of capturing Cape Colony and Rhodesia from the
British. Much to the surprise and disgust of Germany, the Boers promptly
showed their loyalty to Great Britain and aided in capturing the German
colonies.

The struggle for Germany's African colonies continued for more than
three years. Togo, a comparatively small colony, was captured by French
and British troops shortly after the outbreak of the war. Under the Boer
leaders, Generals Smuts and Botha, German Southwest Africa was conquered
by July of 1915. Kamerun in West Africa was freed from German forces in
1916. The final chapter in the fight for the German colonies was written
in December of 1917, when an army from British South Africa, in
cooeperation with Belgian forces, completed the conquest of Ge