How/why did Germany go to such lengths to destroy the British Empire

I think that the Germans went to such lengths because they wanted to stretch and weaken the war machine that was the British Army.  They did this by attacking many of the colonies that Britain had.  From China to the Falkland Islands, the Germans attacked the British in hopes to draw troops away from the front so that they might beat France.  Their plan actually worked however not in the numbers they were hoping.