Pt #1 Background

Also recognized as the first genocide of the 20^th century the Herero and Namaqua

genocide occurred between 1904-1907 (Mark Wells). These were the years preceding the

First World War.

 

This genocide took place in German-South West Africa (SWA) or modern day Namibia. The Namibia area is fill with treasures that many wanted to start there fortune. These treasures include the Sand of the skeleton coast which is the dust of gemstones. Uranium, tin, and tungsten can be mined in the central Namib. Copper was to be mined in the north, and diamonds in the south (Espresso Stailinist). These treasures attracted a lot of new settlers.

Early on there were few Europeans to visit the area. After a bit of time Europeans started making trade outlets. Starting with trade outlets for ivory and cattle. The Europeans also traded firearms for Namib treasures. Soon they started trading big guns and military systems, which in turn caused the many tribes of South-West Africa to settle their disputes with violence. “The Nama and the 

Herero were livestock farmers, and they were the two main tribes in the 1840’s when the Germans(first missionaries, then settlers, then soldiers) began arriving in South West Africa” (Espresso Stalinist).

Later after about the 1880’s Germany made South-West Africa their colony. “Followed by a military governor who knew little about running a colony and nothing at all about Africa. Major Theodore Leutwein began by playing off the Nama and Herero tribes against each other” (Espresso Stalinist).

The cattle-farmers in the tribe also had problems with the cattle-virus epidemic in the 1890’s. The colonists offered the Herero aid on credit. In turn the farmers amassed a ton of credit that which they could not pay off. The colonists who did not receive their payments took what was left of the cattle (Espresso Stalinist).

In 1904  the Herero rebelled against the Germans which in turn caused themselves more harm.