THE COLONIAL PERIOD
Cameroon’s contact with the Europeans began with the commercial deals and trades, including slave trade. This brought about the introduction of Christianity and the gradual dismantling of the existing local rule (such as the Bamun Kingdom).
German Kamerun (1845 – 1884)
In 1845, the British Baptist missionaries settled in Cameroon with a prime motive of evangelism. This was followed by trade with the Britons. It did not last very long though since in 1868 a German counter was opened near Douala by Woerman a merchant from Hamburg.
The objective of the British was to develop their business and put an end to slavery in the region, which was not in the interest of the Doualan leaders of the time. They even wrote a letter to Queen Victoria to express their displeasure.
From 1860-1870, the French and the Germans began to take an interest in Cameroon. The German government sent Gustave Nachtigal to negotiate the implementation under German supervision of Cameroon with Doualan leaders. As a result, treaties were signed in this regard with the leaders of the Wouri estuary also called “Cameroon River’’. These were called German-Douala treaties. One of them dated July 12 of 1884 marks the birth of modern international Cameroon.
On 14th July of 1884 the German flag was hoisted in “Cameroon Town’’ as their first place of settlement thus the name “Kamerun’’. The town later became known as Douala; the German colony of “Kamerun’’
1884 - 1922
German colonization began in 1884 with the signing of a treaty between the king of Bell and Gustav Nachtigal in July 1884. (Gustav Nachtigal was a German explorer of Central and Western Africa). Despite the opposition of the Douala leaders, the protectorate was extended from Lake Chad in the north to the shores of the Sangha southeast. Along their journey toward the East, the Germans had clashed with local people who felt their trade was threatened.
Kamerun Schutzgebiet (Protectorate of Cameroon) was placed under the authority of a governor representing the Reich Chancellor. He also made divisions based on stations and those stations led to smaller administrative units; Bezirk (in the south) and Residentur (in the north).
From 1885 to 1901, Douala was first chosen to host the governor’s residence and offices. Then from 1901 to 1909 Buea was chosen by Governor von Puttkamer for its cooler climate. The eruption of Mount Cameroon in 1908 put a premature end to the reign of Buea. The Germans then went back to Douala to settle once more at the governor’s residence and offices but this time they faced a revolt from Doualans who resisted the expulsion from their own land.
Considered as an operation area for Germans, the Protectorate of Kamerun was highlighted by its new master on agricultural and infrastructural plans. Regarding agriculture, the Germans established large plantations of export commodities like cocoa, coffee, bananas, rubber, palm oil, most of which were found on the slopes of Mount Cameroon. To ease Transport problems the Germans opened many roads, ports, bridges and built especially railways. The Germans set up the first telegraph, telephone and wireless telegraph facilities. The natives were then subjected to forced labor and corporal punishment.
Series of revolts broke out on plantations in the region of Douala, until the tax strike period. Nevertheless, the German mastery was not shaken by these events.
Besides the signing of the “German-Duala Treaty”, the Germans faced the resistance and revolts in their attempt to conquer the hinterland of Cameroon. They got help in their conquests by traditional leaders; the most famous of them were Fon Galega the 1st chief of Bali, the Bamun Sultan Ibrahim Njoya and Charles Atangana who was later appointed Oberhauptling (senior leader) of Yaounde and Bane.
After the bloody wars which broke down the Fulani States and the Mandara Kingdom (already weakened against the endless wars against the Fulani and the Kanem Bornou Kingdom) they reached Adamawa in 1899 and Lake Chad in 1902. Only Bamun Kingdom with his Sovereign Njoya avoided the war by negotiating with the Germans. Sultan Njoya opened his territory to political and economic innovations they proposed for him in exchange for his power.
In 1911 the territory of Kamerun expanded a part of the Congo given by France (duck’s beak area on the Cameroon map because it gave access to the River Congo).
In the southern forest, the German army seized Kribi on the 15th of October 1887. In the south, Major Hans Dominik established his military post in Yaounde in 1894 and friendly relationship was established with several leaders like Charles Atangana and Nanga Eboko. The East was to be colonized only in 1907 by Major Hans Dominik.
In 1908, the capital was moved to Douala.
In 1911, according to the treaty of Fez for the dispute to be paid on Morocco (see article: Coup d’Agadir), the French surrendered some of their territories of Equatorial Africa to the Germans who immediately named it Neukamerun (“New Cameroon’’). The German lost their colony because of their defeat in the World War in 1918.
During the First World War when Cameroon was conquered by the Franco British forces ally’s troops entered Yaounde on 1 January, 1916 ending the rule by German colony.
In 1922 German colony was then divided into two territories mandate entrusted by the League of Nations (Societe Des Nations - SDN). France was given the largest part of it; precisely, 4/5 which became the French Cameroon and the rest was given to the UK which became the British Cameroon. Each of these two countries ruled his country as it deemed fit; France adopted the “policy of assimilation” while the United Kingdom adopted the “indirect rule”.
