The book details which Germans pushed for overseas expansion, how they tried to implement their ambitions, and why they ultimately failed. Discussions of political leaders and diplomats, the navy, German nationals overseas, and the German Evangelical Church and its missions abroad contribute to the history of Wilhelmian Germany. Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.