Beginning in the 16th century, the coastal region around modern-day Togo became a significant trading hub for Europeans looking for slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the nickname "The Slave Coast."
Germany established Togoland as a protectorate in 1884, including modern-day Togo. Anglo-French soldiers seized Togoland at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Following Germany's defeat in 1918, the territory was partitioned between British Togoland in the west and French Togoland in the east. The League of Nations mandated Britain and France, which became United Nations mandates in 1946.
When British Togoland obtained independence from Britain in 1956, its people decided to join Ghana.
French Togoland established an independent republic inside the French Union in 1959. The Togolese Republic was declared on April 27, 1960. Sylvanus Olympio became the first president during the first presidential elections in 1961.
