ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the various connections and synergies between British and German colonialist discourses from the foundation in 1871 of the Second German Reich onwards, since this was the point in history when Germany and Britain first became serious rivals for world power. It offers contributions relevant to the study of archaeology, geography, literature, political science, sociology, and missionary history. There are a number of reasons to compare British and German colonialism during the period of High Imperialism and within a global context. The chapter also takes account of the human actions, both individual and collective, which lie behind these phenomena. The truly global nature of British and German colonialism and their discourses is illustrated.
