Final answer:
Germany quickly expanded across Europe and into North Africa during WWII with its formidable military force, led by General Erwin Rommel in the African theater. Germany aimed to assert dominance and secure resources but faced numerous challenges, including guerrilla resistance in East Africa and setbacks from Allied opposition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Germany's Expansion in Europe and North Africa
During World War II, Germany quickly gained territory across Europe and North Africa due to its military strength and strategy. After overrunning most of Western Europe, the Germans pushed into Eastern Europe and reached crucial points such as Moscow and Leningrad in Russia. The German forces, under the command of General Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps, executed rapid advances in North Africa, thus jeopardizing the British position in Egypt and the strategically vital Suez Canal.
In East Africa, German colonial forces, led by Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Allies, significantly disrupting local agriculture and contributing to widespread famine and death amongst the population. The harsh conditions bestowed upon African porters, who faced extremely low rations and high mortality rates, highlight the grueling nature of the colonial campaign and the contemptuous aspects of racism during the conflicts.
The pursuit of colonies by Germany in Africa was largely influenced by the race for supremacy, which peaked following the Berlin Conference of 1884. However, due to the prior division of the continent among European powers, Germany's colonization efforts before WWI were limited to smaller territories in Africa. Their later aspirations for expansion and resource acquisition during WWII met significant resistance, causing setbacks in their war strategy.