The rebellion of the Herero and Nama of 1904 in German southwest Africa, to which today's Namibia, cost by assaults, fighting, diseases or driving out at least 24,000 Herero, about 10,000 Nama, at that time in the literature "Hottentotten " calls, and between 1.365 to 1,441 white inhabitants and German soldier the life.

On 12 January 1904 the Herero rose to a rebellion against German colonial rule in the German southwest Africa at that time, whereby 123 German settlers would attack with were killed. The personnel-weak colonial force of the colony, which had only 766 men, had not grown the insurgent one initially.

The German government among emperors Wilhelm II. sent thereupon a naval expedition corps with approximately 15,000 men under lieutenant general Lothar von Trotha. Warfare Trothas was not adapted to the situation in southwest Africa and led to many dead ones on both sides. In addition it caused harsh economic losses for a trunk of the Khoi Khoi, hunger emergencies under the Nama, and the settlers.

Reasons of the rebellion

To the successful pacification of the Herero into the 1890ern it came 1897 to a cattle plague, which the social structure and the self-confident its shook this Hirtenvolks heavily. The mass dying of the cattle led to a strong price rise for meat, which made the cattle breeding attractive for German settlers into that so far for the Herero reserved areas. These bought from individual country, so that for the remaining less and less at pasture reasons was available.

It was been to the German protecting power very much to prevent the uncontrolled increase of weapons in the country and to decrease the combat capability of the trunks. This encountered however the decided resistance of the concerning, which wanted not to be able to be merged in this kind into the German order system. Thus a little planned, but nevertheless violent military argument from the counting and registration project of the colonial administration with the Bondelswarts Nama in warm bath in October 1903, which dragged on to over the year end, developed and only after the employment by reinforcement troops from the north of the country at the 27.Januar 1904 with a victory of the Germans could be terminated. Thus was the center of the country without sufficient military coverage, which made it impossible for the administration in Windhoek to react to the beginnings of the Hereroaufstandes from January 1904, outgoing from Okahandja, appropriately.

Military difficulties on sides of the Germans

The German Reich was completely unprepared on a colonial war in German southwest Africa. At the beginning of the war against the Herero in January 1904 the colonial force consisted of four companies, a cannon battery and a row mostly smaller station crews with altogether 769 German and 132 natives soldiers. Reinforcement from the protected area received the colonial force by 1.141 reservists, member of the land resistance, landtower-requiring and war kriegsfreiwillige. The moreover one still the auxiliary troops of the Baster, Witboois and Bethanier quantities could become. With these forces it was not possible despite a technically much better armament (max in machine gun) to thrash the rebellion of the Hereros.

The Herero could lead according to estimations about 5,000 to 7,000 Krieger into the field. The successful defense of all larger stations such as Okahandja and Omaruru and their frightening from own Kraft was already therefore a large success for the Germans and for the further process of the war of crucial importance.

Also after the arrival of reinforcement from Germany the forces for a complete military success, the available, were not sufficient, particularly since strong forces were bound with the safety device of the German stations and settlements as well as the traffic routes. Special disadvantage that Germany, differently than for instance England and France, had not a constant strike force, showed up which for an employment in overseas trained as and equipped was. Thus consisted the reinforcement arriving from the homeland by ship mostly of fast set up federations of Freiwilligen of the most diverse troop units, which had to be set completely unprepared to Africa in march. The efficiency of again arriving federations was limited therefore. Lack of training (for example concerning the special requirements of the health care on an African theater) and experience lacking led too partial heavy losses, both in combat and by diseases as for example typhoid fever.

The German governor Theodor von Leutwein, who was up to its separation by lieutenant general von Trotha also commander of the colonial force, was conscious itself of the limited own possibilities. Besides were it, when national connoisseurs, who widen nearly insurmountable difficulties for the employment of sufficient forces in, almost unexplored country well-known. In correct estimate of the situation Leutwein planned a political solution of the conflict, which was to be prepared by military means. On the other hand the German public, in complete misjudging of the difficult situation locally, demanded a rapid and compromiseless thrashing of the Hereros. General Lothar von Trotha was determined to follow the public demand. A fatal false estimate of the situation occurred to it. The conviction, by means of concentric attack of all available forces the Hereros was from Trotha to a decisive battle places and the rebellion with an impact militarily to terminate to be able. From Trotha underestimated the local difficulties for such a comprehensive movement, the military abilities of the Hereros in addition, the meaning of the natives fighting on German side auxiliary troops.

The German leadership

Headquarters in Okahandja consisted 1904 of the following persons:

• Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant general v. Trotha
• General staff: Lieutenant colonel Chales de Beaulieu (boss); Major Quade; Captain Salzer; Captain Maximilian Bavarian (central department/war diary leader)
• Adjutantur: Captain Paul von Lettow Vorbeck; First lieutenant Bosse
• Ordonnanzoffizier: Second lieutenant v. Gossler
• Field director: Intendanturrat nightingale
• Boss of the medical service: General upper physician Dr. Robert Schian
• Field jurisdiction: Upper court-martial advice Dr. Volley
• Leader of the signal department: Second lieutenant
• Boss of the veterinarian nature: Staff veterinarian Moll
• Commander of headquarters: First lieutenant v. Trotha
• with headquarters were furthermore: Captain A.D. Dannhauer as correspondents "citizens of Berlin of the restaurant indicator "as well as Colonel Trench as British military

The rebellion of the Herero

Outbreak of the rebellion

Directly before the rebellion the Herero in the region wading hereditary suppl. concentrated itself, officially because of inheritance disputes around the death of Waterberg Herero chieftain Kambazembi. The Herero bought general purchase rage "all useful in the last weeks before the rebellion of German dealers without consideration for indebtedness in one ". Hererodiener became opposite their gentlemen frequently failing.

"I fight, kill all Germans "

On 11 January 1904 Samuel Maharero in Osona, with the following resolution adopted this instruction as additive:

Okahandja, 11 January

To all large people of my country. I am Samuel Maharero, upper chieftain of the Herero. I made an instruction for all my people that they do not put their hands to far to the following: Englishman, Bastands, Bergdamara, Nama, Buren. All these do not touch we. This does not do! I swore an oath that this resolution does not admit become may, also not mission arene. Enough.

Chieftain Daniel Kariko stated in lieu of an oath that the Hererogrossleute also agreed to spare all German women and children as well as mission acres and their families.

The sparing instructions Mahareros and the large people were considered except for few exceptions, and led women and children, who were taken up, to German settlements. There they were welcome (because only precisely) sources of information for the German staff. Men were however indiscriminately killed.

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