German rule, African subjects : state aspirations and the reality of power in colonial Namibia

Although it lasted only thirty years, German colonial rule dramatically transformed South West Africa. The colonial government not only committed the first genocide of the twentieth century against the Herero and Nama, but in their efforts to establish a "model colony" and "racial state, " they brought about even more destructive and long-lasting consequences. In this now-classic study—available here for the first time in English—the author provides an indispensable account of Germany's colonial utopia in what is present-day Namibia, showing how the highly rationalized planning of Wilhelmine authorities ultimately failed even as it added to the profound immiseration of the African population. "Though envisioned by its overseers as a "model state," German Southwest Africa never became the success story colonial officials hoped for. Despite the immiseration they inflicted upon the indigenous population-from exploitative labor practices to genocidal violence-the colony lasted only thirty-five years and yielded little for the metropole before being lost to the British Empire. In this now-classic study-available here for the first time in English-the author provides an indispensable account of how German colonial ambitions foundered in what is present-day Namibia. As he shows, the highly rationalized planning of Wilhelmine authorities could not accommodate the practical, lived realities of both colonizer and colonized"-- Provided by publisher Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of Illustrations 9 Preface to the English Edition 10 Abbreviations 15 Introduction 20 1 The Establishment of the Schutzgebiet and ‘Native Policy’ up until 1907 36 2 The Codification of ‘Native Policy’ after 1905 89 3 Demographics, Economics and Institutions: Basic Factors after the War 158 4 Securing Colonial Rule 178 5 The Labour Market: Recruitment and Working Conditions 241 6 Social Discipline, Educational Policy and the Taxation of the Africans 326 Conclusion 374 Appendix. Diagrams and Tables 384 Glossary 388 Bibliography 392 Index 430