The League of Nations hands over German colonies

Date: 20 Jul 1922
Updated: 20 Jul 2026

League of Nations Delegates attending a League of Nations meeting, c. 1930. Source Brittanica

The League of Nations, an international body which preceded the United Nations, agreed to hand over three former German colonies as mandates. Tanganyika, which formed the greater part of the German colony Deutsche Ostafrika, was transferred to Britain and in 1961 became independent as Tanzania. The greater part of the colony of Togo and lesser part of it, Togoland, were handed over to France and Britain respectively. The Togo colony became independent in 1960 while Togoland became part of Ghana in 1957. The German colony of Kamerun was handed over to the French as Cameroun (which eventually became Cameroon in 1960) and to the British as British Cameroon North (became Nigeria in 1961) and British Cameroon South (eventually joined with Cameroon in 1961).

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How we know this

01Dr. Heinrich Schnee, How the German Colonies Were Seized, Available at www.wintersonnenwende.com [Accessed : 19 July 2013]
02History of Cameroon, Available at : www.historyworld.net [Accessed : 19 July 2013]

Last updated · 20 Jul 2026

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). The League of Nations hands over German colonies. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011445

South African History Online (2011) 'The League of Nations hands over German colonies', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011445 (Accessed: 22 August 2026).

South African History Online, The League of Nations hands over German colonies [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011445, (accessed 22 August 2026).

"The League of Nations hands over German colonies." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011445. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "The League of Nations hands over German colonies." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011445.