Hi everyone -- I'm working on a project involving Germany's occupation of a Micronesian island (between 1898 and 1914), and I'd like to better understand how policies there fit into the bigger picture of pre-WWI German Empire. Many of the German officials in the Pacific also worked in Africa at some point in their careers, and I'd like to better understand how these different imperial spheres fit together. Any suggestions for secondary material that might be helpful?
In my opinion, Sebastian Conrad's German Colonialism: A Short History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012) is probably the best text for anyone interested in a brief overview of Imperial German colonialism. I don't have the work in front of me, but you will find the sections on Samoa and the Pacific colonies useful. The book is concise, but thorough, and the translator has done an excellent job. I hope this helps?
Do you speak German? As far as I know, Hermann J. Hiery is the leading scholar on German colonial possessions in the Pacific.