Britain, Germany and Colonial Violence in South-West Africa, 1884-1919: The Herero and Nama Genocide (Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies)

Reflecting emerging scholarship on the entanglement of colonial histories, this book examines British and South African perspectives on, and involvement in, the genocide of the Herero and Nama in German South West Africa from 1904 to 1908. Seeking to present a transnational and trans-colonial perspective on the war imposed by Germany, the book sheds light on Anglo-German relations during ‘native' rebellions and exposes shared experiences of colonial violence. This approach aligns with a new surge of historiography which emphasises the co-operation between colonial powers to maintain order in Africa. The author focuses on British involvement in counter-insurgency efforts, its awareness of the extent of the genocide, and how the Herero-Nama War impacted colonial rule in British territory. The book sheds light on how the British government intentionally managed sensitive information on German colonialism according to the geopolitical needs: While reports were ignored and censored prior to 1914, these became instrumental to Britain’s foreign policy in confiscating Germany’s colonies in 1919. Not only exploring the war years, the book covers the entire period of German colonial rule in Africa (1884-1919), and highlights British and South African perspectives throughout this period. Offering fresh insights on the first genocide of the century, this book builds on a growing body of research into trans-colonialism and contributes to modern German history. Map of German South West Africa Acknowledgements Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction Trans-colonialism in Anglo-German Southern Africa Chapter 2: Colonial Violence in Southern Africa at the Turn of the Twentieth Century The Brutal Germans? Mutual Perceptions and Inspiration The Herero and Nama Rebellions, 1903–8 Concentration Camps: Transfer of Colonial Methods Chapter 3: Imperial Cooperation and Anglo-German Diplomacy A Troublesome Neighbour: British Views of German Colonialism in Southern Africa The Marengo Affair Chapter 4: Concerns and Non-Cooperation ‘Exciting the Natives’: Britain’s Ambiguous Border Policies ‘The Most Disquieting Feature’: Invasion Scares and Bittereinders in GSWA Chapter 5: Case 609: African Refugees in British Territory Integrating into African Communities The Refugee Camps Refugees and the Politics of Migrant Labour Compensation Chapter 6: Knowledge and Reactions Violence in the Congo: The 1903 Casement Report ‘Dante might have written a notice for the gate’: Intelligence Reports in GSWA ‘Boys Too Big to Interfere With’: Causes of Non-Intervention Chapter 7: Atrocity Narratives and the End of German Colonialism, 1918–19 Contents of the 1918 Blue Book Writing the Blue Book ‘A Fool’s Paradise’: SWA Under South African Occupation German Colonialism at the Bar in Paris 1919 Chapter 8: Conclusion Cited Works Archival Sources Germany Bundesarchiv, Lichterfelde Namibia National Archives of Namibia, Windhoek South Africa National Archives of South Africa, Pretoria United Kingdom Bodleian Library, Oxford Hansard London School of Economics Library The National Archives, Kew Senate House Library, London Contemporary and Printed Sources Sources in Collected Volumes Newspapers Published Works Secondary Sources Index "Reflecting emerging scholarship on the entanglement of colonial histories, this book examines British and South African perspectives on, and involvement in, the genocide of the Herero and Nama in German South West Africa from 1904 to 1908. Seeking to present a transnational and trans-colonial perspective on the war imposed by Germany, the book sheds light on Anglo-German relations during native' rebellions and exposes shared experiences of colonial violence. This approach aligns with a new surge of historiography which emphasises the co-operation between colonial powers to maintain order in Africa. The author focuses on British involvement in counter-insurgency efforts, its awareness of the extent of the genocide, and how the Herero-Nama War impacted colonial rule in British territory. Not only exploring the war years, the book covers the entire period of German colonial rule in Africa (1884-1919), and highlights British and South African perspectives throughout this period. Offering fresh insights on the first genocide of the century, this book builds on a growing body of research into trans-colonialism and contributes to modern German history."-- Back cover