By 1914, Germany had acquired several colonies in the Pacific Islands and parts of China. To defend these colonies the German Navy stationed a squadron of cruisers (The East Asiatic Squadron) based at Tsingtau in north-eastern China. Unlike the ships of other European colonial powers stationed in the region, the German squadron consisted of modern ships and elite crews. At the outbreak of World War 1 in August 1914, there were few allied ships in the region capable of challenging the German squadron in battle. With the German army advancing on all fronts in Europe, the allied powers were desperate to get the Australian and New Zealand armies to Europe.
This article, modified from the original 6 part series, explores the history of the naval conflict in the Pacific in the early stages of World War 1, the capture of the German colonies, and the naval battles at Coronel (1 November 1914) and the Falkland Islands (8 December 1914).