German Samoa: Colonial History from 1900 to 1914

German Samoa refers to the period when Samoa was a German protectorate (1900–1914). After European powers competed for influence, Germany annexed the islands in 1899. The colony was administered by a German-appointed governor, integrated into the imperial economy, and became a center for German missionary activity. In 1914, New Zealand occupied Samoa at the outbreak of WWI. It became a League of Nations mandate under New Zealand, gaining full independence in 1962.