The Pacific Prepares for War

Framed against the outbreak of the First World War, these ships were involved in the conflict but weren’t on their way to the Northern Hemisphere. When war was declared, the nation of Samoa as we know it today was under German administration and New Zealand, being the nearest of the British Empire with enough forces, was tasked with securing the colony. It was unknown what kind of defence German Samoa would put up, and preparations for combat are evident from the presence of artillery. But the outcome was fortuitous, as the small German administration surrendered without a single shot fired. Gallipoli is remembered in the New Zealand psyche as our baptism of fire, but our first action as a nation in the First World War was invading our Pacific neighbours and despite protest holding them under New Zealand administration until 1962.
https://ngataonga.org.nz/blog/nz-history/the-pacific-prepares-for-war/

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