"Gateway to the World": Hamburg and the Global German Empire, 1881-1914

Against accounts of the German Empire that focus excessively on domestic politics, this thesis argues that the overseas commerce of Hamburg's merchant houses and shipping firms guided Germany through its colonial acquisition, naval armament, and all-important Weltpolitik. In so doing, it offers conclusions not only about the history of the German Empire, but also about the nature of empire and globalization.