A place in the sun: meaning & explanation

Why the «place in the sun» has nothing to do with summer? The answer is in the explanation below. You will learn what «the place in the sun» was, who coined this phrase and what it has to do with the German Empire.

Place in the sun – definition

At the saying «A place in the Sun» It is a quote from the Reichstag speech by Bernhard von Bulow dated December 6, 1897. The phrase «A place in the sun» became a Metaphor for the colonial policy of the German Empire under Wilhelm II.

Place in the Sun – Colonial Policy under Bismarck

While Bismarck’s Term of office was foreign policy, especially the Alliance policy in focus –concrete expansion plans there was first Not. But Bismarck could also colonial policy Finally don’t withdrawnto the economic foreign trade structures to secure the kingdom.

That’s how it came from 1884 to 1887 to colonize:

  • German South West Africa, German East Africa, Togo, Cameroon
  • Colonies in the Pacific
  • Kiaozhou (Territory in China)

But towards the end of his term, Bismarck spoke again against further efforts in colonial politics out and wanted to get stronger again European alliance policy dedicate.

Would you like to learn more about Bismarck’s foreign policy and German colonialism? Then take a look at the relevant explanations here on !

Figure 1: The colonies of the German Empire, 1914.

Place in the sun – Colonial policy under Wilhelm II.

But Emperor William II wanted a reinforced and «more aggressive» foreign policyto the German Empire firmly as to establish world power – so there was one «Striving for World Power». One wanted expandexpand the German colonies and develop trade routes.

Two points seemed particularly important to Wilhelm II in this endeavor:

  1. First, the German Empire be strengthened militarily (Especially recognizable in the naval arms race).

  2. On the other hand, the German Empire expand its coloniesto do so with the other world powers such as England and France draw level.

The saying «A place in the Sun» is often seen as a turning point from Bismarck’s to Wilhelm’s foreign policy.

Place in the sun – Bülow

Bernhard von Bulow was the Secretary of State Foreign Office of the German Empire. As such supported he reinforced and militarily based colonial policy by Kaiser Wilhelm II, which he pursued after Bismarck was deposed in 1890. In the Reichstag debate of December 6, 1897 Bülow finally said the following in the context of German colonial policy:

We don’t want to put anyone in the shade, but we also demand our place in the sun.

Figure 2: Bernhard von Bülow, 1895. Source: wikipedia.org

Place in the sun – meaning

With the «place in the sun» was a place up eye level with the other world powers meant. The German Empire should competitive be made. England and France, for example, were through their strong colonial policy already established world powers and had already said so «place in the sun» – wanted the German Empire catch up and draw level with them.

Place in the sun – explanation

But why was he playing? expansion of colonial politics at this striving for world power of the German Empire under Wilhelm II suddenly played such an important role? Why was «A Place in the Sun» like that desirable?

At the time, it seemed like you could «world standing» of an empire (i.e. a worldwide importance and authority of the empire) based on a pronounced legitimize colonial politics. This was for many different economic and political reasons.

Colonial policy was:

  • The fight about raw materials,
  • The fight about Sales markets and trading places
  • The fight about labor markets
  • The fight about habitats
  • The fight about military bases worldwide.

But not only that economic and political dominance of a country could be illustrated by the colonial policy, but also the social supremacy or even «superiority». Because colonialism was also for the world powers:

  • One «cultural mission«, in order to classify the peoples of the colonies as «inferior» according to their to «educate» cultural and religious standards.

So the whole thing was an interaction striving for world power and economic interest and a pronounced expansionist and colonial policy of the German Empire promised both. The German Empire wanted to make sure that it was above all in the face of the other world powers economically and militarily competitive stayed and just got his too «Place in the Sun» secured.

Pseudoscientific Social Darwinism

At the time of colonialism was the pseudoscientific view of the so-called social darwinism widespread, especially within the European world powers.

This pseudoscience based on the assumption that not all people «worth» the same would be.

Based on Darwin’s theory of evolution with the punch set «Survival of the Fittest» especially they saw each other European peoples in an economic, social and cultural superior position.

the indigenous peoples of the various colonies were made with the help of social Darwinism and in contrast to «superior» Europeans as «inferior» shown.

So legitimized the colonial powers the annexation of the colonies also with it, their «Superiority» in the world to spread.

Social Darwinism is no solid science! In this context, please make sure to always put critical terms such as «inferior» or «superior» in quotation marks, as these stem from pseudo-scientific jargon.

Place in the sun – problems

But there was one big problembecause the German Empire was «too late». Large parts of World were already from the others Colonized world powers. That’s what happened in the course of the «aggressive» expansion policy Kaiser Wilhelm II. again and again clashes with the other world powers. An example of this was the Moroccan Crisis (between 1905 and 1911), in which the German Empire and France around the colonial rule in Morocco fought.

But also finance played an important role, because the colonies had to be maintained. At the same time, one had to domestic balance be respected to conflicts such as riots to prevent

Place in the sun – critical voices

Of the German population Wilhelm II’s new course in foreign policy became predominant approved.

Yes some Members of the Reichstag expressed themselves again and again critical to the project «A place in the sun». Especially the politician and publicist Eugene Richter embodied this critical voice and said, among other things, the following at various Reichstag sessions:

Kiautschou, the famous place ‘in the sun’, is very expensive for us, the millions melt there like butter.

the place in the sun is already hot enough for us in Kiaochow that we can feel no inclination to expand the territory or the sphere of interest in any direction.

What Eugene Richter mainly criticized in his speeches were the enormous funds, the German colony Kiaochow so to say «devoured». For the German Empire, Kiautschou was supposed to have a kind «model colony» become – a Exemplary and prime example for the German colonial policy. One invested Extremely huge amounts in for example the infrastructure development (ports, roads, railway lines, telegraph network etc.) and educational institutions (more than 30 schools were founded).

Eventually overflowed 100 million marks (Currency of the German Empire until 1923) after Kiautschou – this one «place in the sun». So the German Empire was already involved its existing colonies financial problems. For this reason alone, more appeared for Eugen Richter colonial expansions not desirable yes even harmful for the German Empire.

100 million marks: Converted to today’s standards, that would be over 600 million euros!

There were no concerns about how the local population would be treated by German colonialism.

Place in the sun – the most important thing

  • The saying «A place in the sun» is a Citation from the Reichstag speech Bernhard von Bulow 6 December 1897.
  • The saying «A place in the sun» became one metaphor for the colonial policy of the German Empire under William II
  • With the «place in the sun» was a place up eye level with the other world powers meant.
  • The economic and military competitiveness of the German Empire should be replaced by a more aggressive Expansion and Colonial Policy be guaranteed.