Take the kaisers involvement in the herero massacre, for instance. It is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. Such thinking saw colonized peoples as primitive and culturally inferior. The few that survived the genocide had already left to neighboring countries and the bloodline was so small that the herero practically were now extinct. Thanks to xios, alan haskayne, lachlan lindenmayer, victor yau, william crabb, derpvic, seth reeves and all my other patrons. German colonial army in what was then called german. Latinautor, aresa, bmg rights management us, llc, abramus digital, and 4 music rights societies show more show less. Herero and namaqua genocide 3 minute history youtube. Germans first missionaries, then settlers, then soldiers begin arriving in south west africa. The herero filed lawsuit against germany in 2001, demanding reparations for the alleged genocide during german colonialism resuscitating a century old debate of whether the herero rebellion is indeed the first genocide of the twentieth century.
Herero and namaqua genocide was a campaign of racial extermination and collective punishment that the government of german southwest africa modernday namibia undertook against the herero and nama people. Germany to recognise herero genocide and apologise to namibia. The herero and nama genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century, waged by the german empire against the ovaherero, the nama, and the san in german south west africa now namibia. Considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. Genocide and the quest for recompense janbart gewald on 9 september 2001, the herero peoples reparations corporation lodged a claim in a civil court in the us district of columbia. For my particular research, the article imperial germany and the herero of southern africa. The following study focuses on the actions of this institution and its. Between 1904 and 1908 imperial german troops committed genocide in german.
The association of the ovaherero genocide in the usa aog, started by the descendants of the genocide, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting awareness and affirmation of the 19041908 genocide, and the just resolution of the ovaherero peoples demands for restitution from the federal republic of germany. The effects of the herero genocide of 19041908 linger today and have influenced namibias current economic and. Germanys colonisation of namibia, then german south west africa gswa, encompasses one of the worst atrocities ever. How the nama and herero genocide foreshadowed the holocaust. The hereros cause of action against germany rachel andersont introduction it is widely supposed that the genocidal wars waged by colonial ad. Germany for the genocide of the ovaherero and nama peoples. Very few know that the first genocide of the 20 th century that almost led to the extinction of two nations of southwest africa herero and namaqua and this one was also done by the germans. German colonial rule in then south west africa marked the. Redressing colonial genocide under international law. Very few sources use the term herero and namaqua genocide, either caps or not, until after wikipedia started using it. Germanherero conflict of 190407, the conflict between the herero people and german colonial troops in german south west africa in 1904 and the ensuing events of the next few years that resulted in the deaths of about 75 percent of the herero population, considered by most scholars to be genocide. Following a brief description of the herero genocide, this chapter provides a. The herero and nama genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century, waged by the german empire against the ovaherero, the nama, and the san in.
The herero and namaqua genocide is thought to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. It took place between 1904 and 1908 in germanoccupied south west africa currently the territory of. There were an estimated 250,000 herero people in namibia in 20. Germany moves to atone for forgotten genocide in namibia. This is a compilation of several different works on various genocides in the twentieth century. Namibias herero people have filed a lawsuit in the us against germany over a genocide in the early 20th century. In writing this i am reminded of us forces in liberia, and french forces in. The hybrid word genocide is a combination of the greek word race, people and the latin suffix caedo act of killing. The causes and consequences of the herero war 19041907. The majority reside in namibia, with the remainder found in botswana and angola. Germany is to recognise as genocide the massacre of 110,000 of the herero and nama people of namibia by german troops between 1904 and 1908 in a landmark admission of historical guilt.
May 24, 2018 the herero and nama genocide is one such example. Third, denial of the ovaherero genocide is widespread in germany and among descendents of colonial settlers in presentday namibia. On january 12, 1904, the herero people, led by samuel maharero, fought back against german colonial rule. Sourcecritical and methodological considerations jns editor academia. The herero and namaqua or nama genocide was the murder and persecution by the german empire of the herero and nama people of namibia, then known as german south west africa. The herero never lived to see the independance of their country. Genocide matters stichproben vienna journal of african studies. Dec 25, 2016 german officials rejected the use of the word genocide to describe the killings of the herero and namaqua until july 2015, when the social democrat foreign minister, frankwalter steinmeier.
Jan 05, 2017 germany has been sued for damages in the united states by descendants of the herero and nama people of namibia, for what they called a campaign of genocide by german colonial troops in the early. On 12 january 1904, the herero people, led by samuel maharero, rebelled against german colonial rule. The annihilation order against the herero and nama people was issued at the end of the war after the germans defeated the herero on october 2, 1904. It took place between 1904 and 1907 during the herero wars. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in german southwest africa today called namibia, during the scramble for africa. The germans were actually never accused for this genocide, in fact, most countries of this time had absolutely no clue that it was occurring and even if they had, many countries were doing similar things to the native africans so they could obtain the natural resources and land that the africans possessed. Herero and namaqua genocide herero and namaqua genocide not a proper name, so lowercase genocide. This study investigates the complex nature, background and origin of the term genocide ranging. My investigation of testimony on the herero genocide centers neither on. In january 1904, the herero people who were led by samuel maharero and nama who were led by captain hendrik witbooi rebelled against german colonial rule. Licensed to youtube by waxploitation on behalf of waxploitation. The herero and namaqua genocide is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. Herero genocide the facts and the criticisms the mail. Between 65,000 and 100,000 herero and 10,000 nama were killed.
The term genocide was coined by raphael lemkin in his 1944 book. Herero and namaqua genocide simple english wikipedia, the. It killed 60,000 hereros and 10,000 nama, 50% to 70% of them. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. In 1904, the indigenous herero people of german south west africa now namibia rebelled against their german occupiers. The role of the prussogerman general staff has received only rudimentary treatment, however.
The personal involvement of the german kaiser, wilhelm ii, in deciding how the war was to be fought in german south west africa signalled the highest. It is argued that the herero genocide set a precedent in imperial germany that would later be followed by nazi germanys establishment of death camps. Like most other genocides, the term is descriptive. Oct 28, 2015 a brutal genocide in colonial africa finally gets its deserved recognition activist israel kaunatjike journeyed from namibia to germany, only to discover a forgotten past that has connections to. Meanwhile, the modern herero and nama people scratch out a living in the veld, herding what cattle they have, farming where its possible, and halfsubsisting on namibias almost nonexistent social welfare programs. Abstractin 2015, for the first time in 111 years, top german government followed postcolonial historical scholarship, literary production, and. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in german southwest africamodern day namibia, during the herero wars. The repatriation of human remains more than a century after they were taken to germany from namibia has evoked painful memories of colonial wars in which primary african resistance was crushed, and genocide perpetrated 190408 in what was then the colony of german south west africa. Jan 17, 2017 meanwhile, the modern herero and nama people scratch out a living in the veld, herding what cattle they have, farming where its possible, and halfsubsisting on namibias almost nonexistent social welfare programs. First, german firms profited from the use of ovaherero slave labor between 1904 and 1907. Sasha romanowsky on 2004 apology for herero genocide. Read part two here w hen the words germany and genocide are put together, most of us inevitability, and understandably, think of the holocaust. German lebensraum and the herero response lasting success a government can only win if the necessity is recognized for securing a peoples lebensraum and thus its own agricultural class.
Pdf the first genocide of the 20th century and its postcolonial. The way the relationship has evolved, in particular the festering issue of the genocide committed by the. That pol pot directed a genocide is another story, but you cant identify a state with a genocide. Historians have examined the herero genocide in german south west africa extensively. However, few of us associate those words with germanys presence in namibia. Genocide is intentional action to destroy a people usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group in whole or in part. As grobler correctly points out, the hererogerman war resulted in genocide the first genocide to take place in our genocidal century, before the mass killings of armenians, jews, cambodians. Herero survivors of the genocide look chillingly similar to survivors of nazi concentration and extermination camps courtesy of wikimedia commons.
Environmental education resources to commemorate earth days 50th anniversary. Selection of academic literature about the herero and nama. When, around 1900, anthropologists became increasingly reactionary and drawn to social darwinist and racist ideas, their work served as a scientific legitimation for colonial atrocity, as the case of the herero genocide in german south west africa 19045 demonstrates. Herero and namaqua genocide simple english wikipedia. The genocide in namibia 190408 and its consequences. Germany sued for damages of forgotten genocide in namibia.
German colonial warfare in then south west africa between 1904 and. The herero and namaqua genocide the holocaust explained. In 1904 in the german territory of south west africa, todays namibia, german troops led by. Genocide and the quest for recompense by janbart gewald, was most relevant. The herero and nama genocide 19041908 was carried out by germany in south west africa, now called namibia. Jul 14, 2016 germany is to recognise as genocide the massacre of 110,000 of the herero and nama people of namibia by german troops between 1904 and 1908 in a landmark admission of historical guilt. Germany grapples with its african genocide the new york. Negotiating the past between namibia and germany taylor. There are powerful links between the herero genocide, the holocaust 40 years later, and the rwandan genocide of the 1990s.
In the following four years, the german army retaliated, killing between 60,000 and 100,000 herero people, one of the worst atrocities ever. More than 100 years after a genocide of the herero people in namibia, germany is acknowledging its role. Between 1904 and 1907, germany has committed his first genocide in namibia and has explicitly planned the extermination of two people. The genocide was carried out through starvation and by poisoning the wells of the herero amongst other tactics. From 1904 to 1907, the herero and the namaqua took up arms against the germans and in the subsequent herero and namaqua genocide, 10,000 nama. The genocide committed by the german empire against the herero and nama peoples in the colony of german south west africa presentday namibia from 1904 to 1908 was the first genocide of the twentieth century and took the lives of an estimated 80 percent of the herero and 50 percent of the nama peoples.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The effects of the herero genocide of 19041908 linger today and have influenced namibias current economic and political condition. When you hear the word genocide, your mind may immediately go to the holocaust by the nazis during the second world war. German vernichtungsbefehl annihilation order against. Episodes such as these continue around the world to this day with little justice delivered in return. The herero, also known as ovaherero, are an ethnic group inhabiting parts of southern africa. Listen to a herero elder recounting the story he heard from his forefathers. A brutal genocide in colonial africa finally gets its. Genocide was more than the gas chambers in germany, it was also the brutal murdering of tons of people in southern africa. Jun 10, 2001 this is not to make light of or dismiss the horrors of the armenian genocide or any other, for that mattermaking contests out of whose genocide is worse or more unique or that there can be only one holocaust is not only selfdefeating and petty but insulting to the memories of all who died andor suffered. Timeline of the german and herero, nama war and genocide 1904 6 january, the settler frau sonnenberg tells german soldiers stationed at the waterberg, including the sergeant in charge, sergeant rademacher, that the herero in the area are stockpiling weapons with the intent to go to war. Genocide is a term used to describe violence against members of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group with the intent to destroy the entire group. The claim was directed against the federal republic of germany, in the person of.
On 12 january 1904, the herero people, led by samuel. Herero and namaqua genocide the espresso stalinist. Goats and soda twice the targets of systematic racism an extermination order by. The herero genocide has commanded the attention of historians who study complex issues of continuity between the herero genocide and the holocaust. Combat genocide association herero and nama genocide. Jakob marengo, of herero and nama descent, kept the german. There were many causes as well as consequences from the war, and up until today, the herero people are struggling with these consequences since the german tribes have left. German officials rejected the use of the word genocide to describe the killings of the herero and namaqua until july 2015, when the social democrat foreign minister, frankwalter steinmeier.
The association of the ovaherero genocide in the usa. In 1908 the camps were dismantled, but the herero were forbidden to own weapons, possess land or livestock, and were still made to perform forced labor. Rwandan genocide the slaughter of 800,000 people youtube. Democratic kampuchea is not a genocide, but a state. Imperial germany and the herero of southern africa. Of the four african colonies that it acquired in 18845, german south west africa today namibia fuelled contemporary.
It occurred from 1904 until 1907 in german southwest africa modern day namibia, during the scramble for africa. Widely considered to be the first genocide of the 20th century, long denied and suppressed, and with endless bureaucratic paper chases to prevent a reckoning, the herero genocide and its modern legacy deserves more attention than its received. Partei deutschland npd, being one of their foremost speech writers. A brutal genocide in colonial africa finally gets its deserved recognition activist israel kaunatjike journeyed from namibia to germany, only to discover a forgotten past that has. Twothirds of the herero people and the half of the nama people of the german colony were killed, many in concentration camps. Herero revolt 19041907 south african history online. The story of the herero tribe is one still unknown to most of the world, and though it is a gruesome tale of white supremacy, it is a story that must be told.
What caused the the herero and namaqua genocide answers. Namibias herero faced a german extermination order. The common name of the event we are dealing here the genocide of the herero and namaqua in the early 20th century is herero genocide, as the namaqua are often left over. On january 12, 1904, the herero people, led by samuel maharero, rebelled against german colonial rule. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in german southwest africa modernday namibia, during the herero wars. Heads used for medical experimentation during the herero and namaqua genocide. German vernichtungsbefehl annihilation order against the. Herero and namaqua genocide by luke greidanus on prezi. The term genocide is contentious and its academic definition varies.
The herero and nama genocide 19041908 the herero and nama genocide. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in german southwest africa modern day namibia, during the scramble for africa. But the disagreement over the word genocide seems of little import in light of the atrocities carried out against the herero people. Germanherero conflict of 190407 african history britannica.