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more than twenty years all German scientists, writers, journalists, politicians, and economists have been haunted by the dream of making Germany a world-power—Eine Weltmacht. The great development of the navy of the Empire under William II. was the most significant manifestation of this vision. For some time the governing powers in Berlin hesitated as to which direction the German expansion should take. Should they launch out into a colonial policy, and dispute the territories in Asia, Africa, and South America with the other Powers? At first the German imperialists thought of creating a colonial empire, similar to that of England, of Russia, and of France; but every successive attempt to lay hands on Central Africa, China, part of South America or Morocco entirely failed. 45