Neukamerun



Neukamerun was the name of Central African territories ceded by the Third French Republic to the German Empire in 1911. Upon taking office in 1907, Theodor Seitz, governor of Kamerun, advocated the acquisition of territories from the French Congo. Germany's only major river outlet from its Central African possessions was the Congo River, and more territories to the east of Kamerun would allow for better access to that waterway.

France and Germany were rivals for Morocco, and in 1911, the Agadir Crisis broke out over the question of possession of that sultanate. France and Germany agreed to negotiate on 9 July 1911, and on 4 November, they signed the Treaty of Fez. France agreed to cede part of the French Congo to Germany in exchange for German recognition of France's rights to Morocco, as well as a strip of land in northeastern Kamerun between the Logone and Chari rivers that was integrated into French Equatorial Africa. The Kamerun colony grew from 465,000 km2 to 760,000 km2. Otto Gleim was governor of Kamerun at the time. The expanded colony became known as Grand Kamerun. The transfer took two years. It was completed when Ouham Region of Ubangi-Shari was transferred on June 1, 1913.

The exchange sparked debate in Germany; opponents argued that the new territories presented little opportunity for commercial exploitation or other profit. The German colonial secretary eventually resigned over the matter.

During World War I, France was eager to regain the territories. In 1916, France seized the territories after the fall of German forces in western Africa. After the war, France administered Cameroun as a League of Nations mandate which was distinct from French Equatorial Africa. Neukamerun ceased to exist as the boundary was placed back at its pre-1911 line (except for the strip of land between the Logone and Chari rivers, which remained part of French Equatorial Africa). The territory today forms part of Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.