First Contact

The inhabitant’s living in what would soon be known as Togo, first began interacting with outsiders in 1847. These outsiders were German missionaries that arrived in Togo to work with the Ewe people. Traders saw an opportunity and followed the missionaries and went to Togo as well. Soon, Otto von Bismarck realized the advantages that Togo offered and sent a representative to persuade the chiefs to fly a German flag which they did in 1885. The Germans were able to build a town at Lome and began to build infrastructure by way of railroad tracks and roads using forced labor just before World War I.[1] As WWI began, the Togo people let the British and the French in to fight the Germans and the Germans had to quickly surrender which they did on August 26, 1914. [2]

 "Togo under the German Flag." WDL RSS. Accessed June 12, 2016. https://www.wdl.org/en/item/684/. 

The first missionaries that contacted the Ewe people were catholic according to sources. They were establishing a connection with the people, learning the language and translating it in order to create a written Bible. The next wave of missionaries was John Wesley’s Methodist Mission. Once Togo became a German colony, the missionary work was entirely catholic once again. [3]

Life under German rule was hard for the Togolese. They endured a lot of forced labor and heavy taxation. The German’s controlled all trade and manufacturing of goods. The German government approved some chiefs but they only handled civil issues as all criminal matters were handled by the Germans themselves. They had very limited, if any access to healthcare and education opportunities for children were very limited at best. One benefit to the German rule was the infrastructure that was built although that came at the price of forced labor.[2]

"HISTORY OF TOGO." HISTORY OF TOGO. Accessed June 12, 2016. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad42.

The first interactions the Togolese had with Europeans were good and beneficial but after that they were harmful and they began to grow questionable of outsiders. Since then they have gained their independence and are interacting in the global economy and with the world as a valuable nation.  

Sources:

1. "HISTORY OF TOGO." HISTORY OF TOGO. Accessed June 12, 2016. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad42.
2. "Togo: German Colonial Rule." World History. Accessed June 12, 2016. http://www.worldhistory.biz/sundries/38694-togo-german-colonial-rule.html.
3. "L'Eglise Orthodoxe Du Togo." LEglise Orthodoxe Du Togo. Accessed June 12, 2016. http://egliseorthodoxe-togo.com/en/le-togo/.