ABSTRACT
Heligoland (Helgoland) was occupied by the British during the Napoleonic wars in 1807. In 1890 the island became part of a deal that lead to German acceptance of British sovereignty over Uganda, Kenya and Zanzibar, for which Germany received Heligoland in exchange. At that time the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty, arranged by Lord Salisbury, was seen as a net gain for the Empire, and only a few British observers viewed the ‘sale’ of British subjects to Germany as a problem. The islanders were never asked but neither did they express overt opposition to the change. During the Great War the island’s significant fortification did not play any significant role though the islanders themselves were evacuated for the duration of hostilities. Upon their return there were calls for the island to revert to British rule. This chapter examines the local identity of Heligolanders’ by analysing British imperial politics and strategy, before, during and after the Great War. It will be demonstrated that the idea of imperial identity and unity was subjugated to real politics and we shall observe how imperial pro-British sentiments were steadily replaced with German national leanings.
