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[[File:German Tsingtau territorial boundary.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Kiautschou Territory boundaries, with Tsingtau.]]
[[File:German East Asia squadron.jpg|350px|thumb|right|The German East Asia Squadron was based in the natural harbour of Kiautschou Bay.]]
'''Tsingtau''' was an [[Imperial German]] new city and administrative centre in their '''Kiautschou Bay Territory''' which had been leased from [[Qing Dynasty|Imperial China]] for 99 years in 1898. The territory itself covered an area of 552 km2 (213 sq mi), centering on Kiautschou Bay on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula (German: Schantung Halbinsel).

==Administration==
[[File:The Germans to the Front.jpg|thumb|350px|During the [[Boxer Insurrection]] Boxer gangs advanced on Peking in May and June 1900. On 11 June, the first Boxer was seen in the Legation Quarter.<ref>The German Minister, Clemens von Ketteler, and German soldiers captured a Boxer, a wannabe assassin, and inexplicably executed him. In response, thousands of Boxers burst into the walled city of Beijing that afternoon and burned many of the Christian churches and cathedrals in the city, burning some victims alive. The soldiers at the British Embassy and German Legations shot and killed several Boxers, Clemens August Freiherr von Ketteler was murdered on 20 June 1900, being shot at point blank range.</ref> In order to protect themselves, the "Eight-Nation Alliance" was founded on 10 June 1900, 2,000 sailors and marines (916 British, 455 Germans, 326 Russians, 158 French, 112 Americans, 54 Japanese, 41 Italians, and 26 Austrians) were put under the command of the British Vice-Admiral [[Edward Seymour (Royal Navy officer)|Edward Hobart Seymour]], his chief of staff was Kapitän zur See Ernst Adolf Julius Guido von Usedom,<ref>[http://prussianmachine.com/aok/usedom.htm Guido von Usedom], The Prussian Machine</ref> captain of the SMS "Hertha". On 22 June 1900, the defeated Seymour (62 dead and 232 wounded) had to retreat to Tientsin, finally the German troops, deployed by [[Felix Bendermann]], arrived, and Seymour called out "The Germans to the front!". This was to become their finest hour. They threw themselves against the enemy and managed to cover the successful retreat. In September 1900 [[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Alfred von Waldersee|Alfred Ludwig Heinrich Karl Graf von Waldersee]] was given command of the alliance. He was officially proposed by the emperor of Russia, and seconded by the Japanese, as the first Allied Supreme Commander of modern times.]]
Because of its importance to the German navy, it was not placed under the supervision of the Imperial Colonial Office (''Reichskolonialamt'') but instead under that of the Imperial Naval Office (the ''Reichsmarineamt'' or RMA). Head of the territory's administration was the Governor (all five office holders were senior navy officers), who was directly subordinated to the Secretary of State of the RMA, [[Alfred von Tirpitz]] ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Tirpitz,_Alfred_von de]). The Governor was head of both the military administration (run by the Deputy Governor and Chief-of-Staff), and the civil administration (managed by the ''Zivilkommissar)''.

Further important functionaries of the whole Kiautschou territory were the official for the construction of the harbor, and after 1900 the Chief Justice and the Commissioner for Chinese Affairs. The ''Gouvernementsrat'' (Government Council of the territory), and after 1902 the Chinese Committee also advised the Governor. The departments of finance, construction, education and medical services were directly subordinated to the Governor, because these were crucial with regard to the idea of a model colony.

==The New City==
The tiny impoverished fishing village of Tsingtau was demolished and a new city was laid out with wide streets, solid housing areas, government buildings, electrification throughout, a sewer system and a safe drinking water supply, a rarity in large parts of Asia at that time and later. There was the European city and the Chinese quarter. The area had the highest density of schools and highest ''per capita'' student enrollment in all of [[Imperial China|China]], with primary, secondary and vocational schools funded by the Berlin treasury and Protestant and Roman Catholic missions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schultz-Naumann |first1=Joachim |title=Unter Kaisers Flagge: Deutschlands Schutzgebiete im Pazifik und in China einst und heute |year=1985 |publisher=Universitas |language=de |isbn=978-3-8004-1094-1 |page=183}}</ref> Germany initially invested upwards of $100 million.<ref>{{cite news |title=What is Kiaochou worth? |author=Toyokichi Iyenaga |url=https://archive.org/stream/independen79v80newy#page/128/mode/1up |newspaper=The Independent |date=Oct 26, 1914 |access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref>

With the expansion of economic activity and public works, German banks opened branch offices, the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank being the most prominent. An important asset to the new city was the establishment of the brewery which made Tsingtau beer, still produced there today and the most popular beer in east Asia. The completion of the Shantung Railway in 1910 provided a connection to the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] and thus allowed travel by train from Tsingtau to Berlin.

Kiautschou Bay was ideal for shipping and it became the base for the German East Asiatic Squadron, as well as a base for [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]] warships on the China Station. A new general harbour was constructed with a mole, a coaling station, and a floating dock which was brought out from Germany in sections and assembled at Tsingtau. The port quickly became extremely busy and a new much larger docking facility was built.

==Revolution==
After the 1911 Revolution in China, as with Hong Kong and Macau many wealthy Chinese and politically connected ex-officials settled in the territory because of the safe and orderly environment it offered. [[Sun Yat-sen]] visited Tsingtau in 1912 and stated: “... I am impressed. The city is a true model for China’s future.”

==The Great War==
The [[Boxer Rebellion]] ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Boxeraufstand de]), at the beginning of the century, had led Germany to consider the defence of Tsingtao. The port and the town were divided from the rest of the peninsula by steep hills. The main line of defense lay along three hills, Mount Moltke, Mount Bismarck, and Mount Iltis, from the ''Kaiserstuhl'' to ''Litsuner'' Heights. Guarding the left wing was Fort Moltke, on the hill of the same name, with two 9.4 inch (240 mm) guns. The heaviest firepower was concentrated in the four 11 inch (280 mm) howitzers of Fort Bismarck. On the right wing, Fort Iltis contained two 9.4 inch guns at the hill's summit.<ref>Trainor, Joseph, in ''War Monthly'' – Issue 37, 1976: "Tsingtao 1914", p.9. {{ISSN|0307-2886}}.</ref> A second {{convert|17|km|mi|abbr=on}} line of defense was set up along a closer line of steep hills. The final line of defense was along hills {{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the town. A network of trenches, batteries, and other fortifications had been built in preparation for the coming siege. Germany had strengthened the defenses from the sea by laying mines in the approaches to the harbor and building four batteries and five redoubts. The fortifications were well equipped (though some with old Chinese artillery) and were well manned.

On 15 August 1914, at the outbreak of [[World War I]] in [[Europe]], Japan delivered an ultimatum to [[German Empire|Germany]] demanding that it relinquish its control of Kiautschou.<ref name="Source Records of the Great War, Vol. III, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923">{{cite web|last1=Duffy|first1=Michael|title=Primary Documents - Count Okuma on the Japanese Capture of Tsingtao, 15 August 1914|url=http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/tsingtau_okuma.htm|website=firstworldwar.com|access-date=28 July 2014|date=22 August 2009}}</ref> Nearly all the ships of the German East Asia Squadron were at the time dispersed at various German island colonies on routine missions; the armoured cruisers SMS ''Scharnhorst'' and SMS ''Gneisenau'' were at anchor at Ponape in the [[Caroline islands]]. Upon rejection of the ultimatum, the [[Japanese Empire]] declared war on the [[German Empire]] on August 23, and the same day its navy arrived off Kiautschou Bay, attacked the guard-ships, including the old [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]] cruiser ''SMS Elisabeth'' (as it was on the China Station), and bombarded the German territory.

The Germans however put up a bitter resistance under Captain Alfred Meyer-Waldeck (1864–1928), the last Governor of Tsingtau (since 1911; he was promoted to a Rear-Admiral [1915] and Vice-Admiral [1918]). He organised the famous gallant defence of the colony in 1914 against the Japanese, who took him as a POW after further fighting was impossible. Not until November 7 was the bay and territory finally occupied by Japanese forces. The four small (1,048 tons) gunboats SMS ''Iltis'', ''Jaguar'', ''Tiger'', ''Luchs'' with their 3.5 inch guns, and the torpedo boats SMS ''Taku'' and ''S90'' of the East Asia Squadron that had been left at Tsingtao were scuttled by their crews just prior to the capture of the base by Japan. Four small river gunboats and some two dozen merchantmen and small vessels evaded Allied capture in inland waters of China until 1917, when China seized most of them save for two river gunboats, which were destroyed by their crews

Japan returned the occupied territory to the now [[Republic of China]] on 10 December 1922. Japan again occupied the area from 1937 to 1945 during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200" heights="250" perrow="5">
File:Tsingtau.jpg|Tsingtau in relation to the peninsular.
File:German Tsingtau the beginnings of the new city.jpg|Tsingtau:the beginnings of the new settlement.
File:German Tsingtau arrival of the canonboat SMS Iltis 1899 with new Governor.jpg|Arrival of the new Governor at Tsingtau aboard SMS ''Itlis'', 1899.
File:German Tsingtau 1900.jpg|Tsingtau, the new settlement 1900.
File:German Tsingtau Prince Heinrich Hotel c1900.jpg|Prince Heinrich Hotel, Tsingtau, c1900.
File:German Tsingtau the German Asian Bank 1906.jpg|The German-Asiatic Bank, Tsingtau, 1906.
File:German Tsingtau 1908.jpg|Business House, Tsingtau 1908
File:German Tsingtau Kaiser Wilhelm Bank (waterfront) 1910.jpg|Tsingtau's Kaiser Wilhelm Bank (waterfront).
File:German Tsingtau with cathedral.jpg|Tsingtau Cathedral and streets.
File:German Tsingtau ships at the mole.jpg|Tsingtau Mole no.1 with shipping activity.
File:German Tsingtau harbour in 1910.jpg|Tsingtau with original Mole on left and Mole no.2, right, 1910.
File:German Tsingtau, Troopship SS PATRICIA - Arrival 20.5.1912.jpg|Tsingtau arrival of troopship SS ''Patricia'' 20 May 1912.
File:German Tsingtau in 1912,a busy port.jpg|Tsingtau in 1912, a bustling port.
File:German Tsingtau, coaling.jpg|Tsingtau, coaling a warship, with the floating dock in the background.
File:German Tsingtau arrival of a ship.jpg|Tsingtau, the new enlarged Mole no.2 awaits a new ship.
File:German Tsingtau in 1913 Christ Church to the left on the hill.jpg|Part of Tsingtau in October 1913.
File:German Tsingtau Brewery - still there today.jpg|Tsingtau's famous Brewery.
File:German Tsingtau Bahnhof.jpg|Tsingtau Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).
File:German Tsingtau Railway station today.jpg|Tsingtau's German-built railway station today.
File:German Tsingtau Governor Meyer-Waldeck.jpg|Alfred Meyer-Waldeck (1864-1928), last Governor of Tsingtau.
File:German Tsingtau armored cruiser SMS Gneisenau in the floating dock.jpg|Armoured cruiser SMS ''Gneisenau'' (commissioned on 6 March 1908) in Tsingtau's floating dock.
File:German Kanonenboot SMS Iltis at Tsingtau.jpg|German warships at Tsingtau. SMS ''Itlis'', left, with SMS ''Gneisenau'' in distance.
File:German Tsingtau SMS Möwe leaving the mole with sailors on the rigging.jpg|The survey ship SMS ''Möwe'' (launched 1906) leaving Tsingtau mole.
File:Austrian cruiser SMS Kaiserin Elizabeth (1888) under Japanese attack at Tsingtau.jpg|The old Austro-Hungarian cruiser SMS ''Kaiserin Elisabeth'' guarding the entrance to Kiautschou Bay, under fire from the Japanese.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Former German colonies]]
[[Category:German history]]
[[Category:China]]
[[de:Tsingtau]]

Tsingtau - Revision history

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹: Text replacement - "\[\[Category(.*)German(.*)\]\]" to ""

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹: Text replacement - "Category:German " to "Category:"

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹: 1 revision imported

en>Crusader at 19:18, 5 August 2023

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹: Text replacement - "\[\[Category(.)German(.)\]\]" to ""