Overview
These three flags are from early 20th century Samoa, during the colonial occupation of the islands by Germany and then by New Zealand. They were flown outside public and government buildings, military sites and from ships and other seagoing vessels.
Colonial power struggles
By 1899 the people of Samoa had experienced several decades of unrest and conflict as rival local political factions sought power. As well as fighting each other, Samoans found themselves in the middle of a struggle between the imperial powers of the United States, Germany and Great Britain, who were vying for control of the archipelago.
At a critical point in this period of tension the more powerful nations reached an agreement and Samoa was annexed: Savai‘i and ‘Upolu (Western Samoa) went to the Germans and Tutuila and Manu‘a (Eastern Samoa) went to the United States; Great Britain gave up its claim.
German occupation
Germans had settled in Samoa in the last decades of the late nineteenth century. They established large estates with extensive coconut and cocoa plantations. After Samoa’s annexation, a new colonial government and bureaucracy were set in place that expanded German business interests and influenced the local culture and society.
New Zealand occupation
On 30 August 1914 New Zealand troops landed in Apia and took control of German Samoa. Britain had requested the invasion, and New Zealand (as part of the British Empire) was quick to move: the New Zealand government had its own colonial ambitions and was looking to extend its influence in the Pacific and build a mini-empire of its own in the region. The landing and occupation went unopposed by the Germans, who had been expecting it.
The New Zealand military occupation of Samoa lasted until 1921, when it was replaced with a civil administration. But the colonial relationship continued to be deeply unsettled and uncertain.