As with most European colonial systems, early German rule was generally harsh on the local populations, most notably in the African colonies where tens of thousands died in the aftermath of crushed rebellions. The largest of these uprisings (the Herero and Second Nama Rebellions in South West Africa and the Maji-Maji Rebellion in East Africa) all occurred at about the same time, 1904-1908. Reports in the German press of the massacre of thousands of Africans and of other abuses of power in Cameroon and Togo along with the rising cost to the German tax payer for running the colonies led to fierce debate about their future in the German parliament, the "Reichstag". In 1907 a new colonial secretary, Bernhard Dernburg, was appointed to carry out radical reforms. He replaced military governors with civilian ones, clamped down on abuses towards Africans and placed the new emphasis for the colonies on making them economically viable. This all led to a lessening of the harshness of colonial rule. Despite the generally destructive nature of colonialism, the Germans also brought schools, medicines, railways, harbours and building skills to their colonies.

After Germany's defeat in the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 stripped Germany of all her colonies and overseas possessions. The former German colonies were declared as Mandates under the League of Nations but in effect they were divided as spoils of war amongst the victorious Entente powers as new colonies of their own.
Recommended External Link - Deutsche Schutzgebeite

Unlike Britain and France, Germany never stationed regular army units in the their colonies nor did they build up large colonial armies for use abroad. The forces they did have were relatively small (even by comparison with those of the Belgian and Portuguese colonies), and were intended only for police work and quelling local rebellions. In the case of large rebellions, additional reinforcements were sent from Germany or nearby warships. The military forces available to each colony came from several potential sources described below. Each of these sources will be discussed in more detail in each colony's own introduction.

Schutztruppe
The larger German colonies (German South West Africa, German East Africa and Cameroon) had their own regular colonial troops known as "Schutztruppe". A colony was referred to in German as a "Schutzgebeit" (or literally a Protectorate), so the soldiers stationed there were referred to as "Schutztruppe" (literally meaning Protection-troop). The Schutztruppe were the backbone of defence and counter-rebellion forces of the three main African colonies. In German East Africa and Cameroon the Schutztruppe consisted of German Officers and NCOs with African other ranks. The Schutztruppe of German South West Africa consisted exclusively of German officers and other ranks.

The Schutztruppe of all three colonies were trained up to high standards. The German officers and NCOs in them usually having volunteered for overseas service and already having previously served in the regular German army or navy. The African soldiers in the Schutztruppe of German East Africa and Cameroon were also drilled and trained up to regular German army standards. They were amongst the best African troops on the continent being well armed, highly motivated and with relatively good pay (as compared with other European colonial armies). These African troops were usually recruited from outside the territory or area in which they served. This made them less likely to side with the local people in the event of a rebellion. The Schutztruppe of all three colonies were formed into company sized formations, stationed in small forts spread across each colony.

The Schutztruppe came under the control of the Imperial Colonial Ministry ("Reichskolonialamt") in Berlin rather than the Ministry of War and therefore did not always follow the same procedure or uniform regulations that governed the regular German army although similarities did exist. The Schutztruppe for each colony were formed separately from each other between the late 1880's and early 1890's and for a while no uniformity existed between them. Between 1894-96 an element of cohesive organisation was introduced especially in areas of  training, uniforms and cross posting of German officers and NCOs. Each colony's troops however, still retained differences based on local conditions.
Recommended External Link - Traditionsverband

Police
Each colony had police-troops ("Polizeitruppe") officered by Germans with the rank and file usually recruited from the local populace (the exception was German South West Africa which instead had a state police force or "Landespolizei", made up mainly of German officers and other ranks). The Germans in the colonial police were usually recruited from police forces in Germany rather than from the army. They did not necessarily have military training and were classed as officials ("Beamte") rather than military personnel. The African or Pacific Islander other ranks were however regarded as military personnel ("Polizei-Soldaten"). Although they were not trained up to full Schutztruppe or German army standards, the Polizeitruppe did recieve some military training and were fully armed with rifles and machine guns.

These colonial police were used to collect taxes, quell minor rebellions and keep law and order in peacetime. On some Pacific Islands they also doubled as postmen. When the First World War broke out the police forces in East Africa, South West Africa and Cameroon were incorporated into the Schutztruppe, while the police forces in Togo and New Guinea formed the main part of the German defences.
Recommended External Link - Polizeigeschichte

Navy
One of the main strategic uses of the colonies was as bases for the Imperial German navy ("Kaiserliche Marine") with vital coaling depots and large radio stations capable of communicating with their ships across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. As such all the colonies received regular visits from German warships which also at times of rebellion could provide artillery support and landing parties.
Recommended External Link - Kaiserliche Marine

The German-leased territory of Kiaochow in China was unique as a colony in that it was governed and defended by the navy and naval troops (rather than the colonial office and the Schutztruppe). The port of Tsingtao served as the base of the German East Asian fleet.
Recommended External Link - Tsingtau Info

Some colonies also had their own non-military ships, separate from the Imperial navy. These vessels came under the control of the colonial governors and were officered by Germans with locally recruited crews. They were not intended for military use although they could be used to ferry supplies and troops in times of war.
Recommend External Link - Axis History Forum Discussion on the Nachtigal

Marine Infantry
The German marine infantry battalions ("Seebatallione") were part of the Imperial navy but were trained and uniformed in the style of the Imperial army (but with additional training at sea). The I. and II. Seebatallione were based in Germany but were ready to be shipped out to the colonies to assist in times of major rebellions (such as the Dahomey Slaves Rebellion in Cameroon in 1893, the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, the Herero Rebellion in South West Africa 1904 and the Maji-Maji Rebellion in East Africa in 1905). The III. Seebatallion was permanently based in Tsingtao.
Recommended External Link - Marine Infanterie

Reservists
Prussian civilians had been liable for conscription since the Napoleonic Wars. From 1893 the periods set for service in the home army were two years with the full time regular army (or navy) followed by five with the reserve (or naval reserve). After service in the reserve, German civilians served twelve years with the Landwehr and another six with the Landsturm until they were 45 years old. From 1912 onwards German civilians living in the colonies came under the same reservist call-up laws as in Germany.

In practice most Germans living in the colonies had already served their two years in the regular army. Service and training in the Reserve (and Landwehr and Landsturm) was not full time like in the regular army and usually only required a small amount of time spent training or on exercise each year. In the colonies this was rarely put into practice except in times of serious rebellion or war. Reservists were called up during the Herero Rebellion in South West Africa, the Maji-Maji Rebellion in German East Africa and during the Boxer Rebellion in China German civilians formed an 800 strong "Kommando" Detachment.

When the First World War broke out each of the German colonies, therefore had numbers of farmers, traders and other colonists, most with some military training available for action. The Schutztruppe and colonial governments also had administrative personnel such as governor's staff, garrison officers, depot staff, paymasters, train crews, boat crews, vets, doctors, hospital staff and in the case of German South West Africa, a camel stud farm staff. These were either kept in their useful jobs in wartime or transferred to reservist units. Many Germans even travelled vast distances across Africa or China to get to the nearest colony to volunteer their services.

Native Irregulars
All the colonies recruited irregulars as scouts, guides and light infantry from the local populations. Often in Africa, the Germans would encourage friendly tribes to serve alongside them against their rebellious neighbours. Local civilians were also employed by the Schutztruppe and colonial forces as servants, cooks, transport drivers and for many other tasks including working as aircraft ground crews. The African colonies (especially German East Africa, Cameroon and Togo) also relied heavily on large numbers of native porters for transportation.

Expeditionary Corps
If the need for overseas action called for more than the local Schutztruppe or Polizeitruppe could contain then naval help and the Seebatallione were called upon. If the perceived need outweighed these forces then expeditions were formed in Germany from regular army personnel for service overseas. Prior to the First World War these troops were formed into newly established units rather than sending existing army units overseas as the other European powers did. The main reason for this was that the peacetime command of the German armies lay with the different kingdoms that made up the German Empire and that they would then have to have the approval not only of the Reichstag parliament in Berlin but also of the individual kingdoms and their respective war ministries leading to time consuming debates. These newly formed Expeditions therefore came under direct imperial command as did the Schutztruppe, Seebatallione and imperial navy.

In 1900 the East Asian Expeditionary Corps was formed from volunteers from the regular imperial army and sent to China to quell the Boxer Rebellion. It arrived too late to seen the main actions of the campaign but elements of it remained in occupation until 1909.

In 1904 the Marine Expeditionary Corps was formed for service in the Herero Rebellion. It was made up of regular army personnel and conscripts formed into new Schutztruppe units.

During the First World War two expeditionary forces, known as Pascha I and II (the latter known as the Asia Corps or "Asienkorps") were formed from regular army units to assist the Ottoman army in the Middle East.