Togoland was a German colonial empire protectorate in West Africa established in 1884 during the Scramble for Africa. The territory, which was named after its capital Lomé, covered an area that now includes parts of modern-day Ghana and Togo.
In 1884, Gustav Nachtigal, a German explorer and colonial administrator, declared a protectorate over the coastal region. The colony was initially set up to exploit its natural resources, particularly palm kernels and copra. By 1905, the colony had expanded inland through treaties with local chiefs and military expeditions.
During World War I, Togoland was invaded by British and French forces in 1914. The German forces capitulated quickly, and in 1916, the colony was partitioned between the victors. The British took the western part, which was later integrated into Gold Coast, while the French administered the eastern portion. This division was formalized in the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
After the war, the League of Nations granted British Mandate for Togoland and French Mandate for Togoland to administer the territories as League of Nations mandates. These mandates were intended to prepare the regions for eventual independence. The British Togoland was integrated into the Gold Coast colony, while the French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union.
In 1957, the British Togoland joined the newly independent Ghana after a UN-supervised plebiscite. French Togoland, after several stages of autonomy, became the independent state of Togo on April 27, 1960.
The division of Togoland has left a legacy of cultural and political ties between Ghana and Togo. Movements for the reunification of Togoland, known as the Togoland Congress and later the Western Togoland Restoration Front, have been active but have not achieved their goal. These movements often claim historical and cultural unity as justification for their cause.