Germany takes possession of Togoland

Background. Togoland was a protectorate of the German Empire in West Africa from 1884 to 1914. During the 'Scramble for Africa,' the colony was established in 1884 and gradually extended inland. It encompassed what is now Togo and most of the Volta Region of Ghana. The establishment was part of Germany's broader colonial expansion in the region.

Establishment of the Protectorate. Two separate protectorates were established in 1884. In February, chiefs in Aného were forced to sign a treaty of protection. In the Lomé region, Gustav Nachtigal, a German explorer and imperial consul, was the driving force behind the establishment of Togoland. On 5 July 1884, Nachtigal signed a treaty with local chief Mlapa III, declaring a German protectorate over territory along the Slave Coast.

Colonial Significance. Togoland was acknowledged as a small but treasured possession for Germany. It was one of Germany's two self-supporting colonies. The colony's establishment in 1884 marked the beginning of German colonial rule in West Africa, which continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, when British and French forces invaded and placed the colony under military rule.