Germany's genocide of the Herero

By Jeremy Sarkin-Hughes

Subjects: William ii, german emperor, 1859-1941, History, Germany, colonies, Namibia, history, Namibia, foreign relations, Germany, foreign relations, africa, Genocide, Germany, history, 1871-1918, Herero (African people)

Description: In 1904, the indigenous Herero people of German South West Africa (now Namibia) rebelled against their German occupiers. In the following four years, the German army retaliated, killing between 60,000 and 100,000 Herero people, one of the worst atrocities ever. The history of the Herero genocide remains a key issue for many around the world partly because the German policy not to pay reparations for the Namibian genocide contrasts with its long-standing Holocaust reparations policy. The Herero case bears not only on transitional justice issues throughout Africa, but also on legal issues elsewhere in the world where reparations for colonial injustices have been called for. The book argues that the Herero genocide was linked to Germany's late entry into the colonial race, which led it frenetically and ruthlessly to acquire multiple colonies all over the world within a very short period, using any means available.