This book is an attempt to outline the customs and traditions as well as the history of the Herero since their emigration from Kaokoveld and to estimate the development and the size of their population based on natural conditions and historical events. The book focuses especially on the disastrous years of 1896-1900 and their consequences for the Herero, which seem to have been insufficiently investigated by historians so far.
By the middle of the 18th century courageous groups of the Herero began to leave their homeland Kaokoveld and started to enter the middle part of Namibia. Until 1830 they colonized the area up to the Swakop Rivier. During their acquisition of the land they displaced, killed or enslaved the indigenous ethnic groups, the San and Damara, who had already settled there for many thousands of years. Finally, they came into contact with the Nama people who had left the Cape region under the pressure of the white men. On their way to the North, they also had displaced or killed the native population.
For decades both peoples fought each other. In the eighteen-eighties the country got gradually under the control of German colonists. During a series of disastrous years (1896-1900) considerable parts of the herds of the Herero were diminished above all by cattle plague. A great famine was the first result. Subsequently many thousand Herero died of diseases. Drought, locusts and beasts of prey aggravated the situation even more.
After the loss of their cattle the Herero were impoverished and in a desperate situation. Hard and partly unfair treatment by arrogant white settlers and impertinent traders increased the bitterness and the hatred against the intruders. All this finally led to a general uprising in 1904. Finally, the decisive battle of Waterberg was fought. The Herero were forced to give up and withdraw. Many of them tried to escape to British-Bechuanaland. But crossing the arid area of the Omaheke thousands died of thirst and starvation. In 1912 only about 20,000 Herero still existed in GSWA. A few thousand lived as refugees in Bechuanaland, the Kaokoveld, in Ovamboland and in other places. The nation was shattered.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Namibia
- Location
- Climate
- The Indigenous Population of the Country
- The Herero People
- Manners and Customs
- Diet and Clothing
- Religion
- Classification and Organization of the People
- Relationships, Course of Life
- Early History
- Origin of the Herero
- Reasons for Emigration
- Size of the Population When Abandoning Kaokoveld Around 1750
- Struggle for the Land
- Taking Possession of the Land
- Struggle Against Nama and Afrikaner in the Time of About 1830 – 1840
- Two Decades of Supremacy of Jonker Afrikaner, Impoverishment of the Herero and Decline
- Peace Attempts
- The Herero’s Liberation War 1862 – 1870
- Maharero Leaves Okahandja
- Military Conflicts in 1863
- Encounters 1864
- Raids and Battles in 1865
- The Year 1867
- Last Actions
- The Peace of Okahandja
- Reconstruction of the Country and the Herds 1870 – 1880
- Ten Years’ War, 1880 – 1890
- Controversial Subjects
- The Casus Belli – the Gurumanas Incident
- Maharero’s Revenge – the Massacre of Okahandja and the Destruction of Windhoek
- Counter-attacks of the Nama
- Maharero Draws the Border of the Herero’s Territory
- The New Opponent - Hendrik Witbooi
- The Day of Onguheva
- The Trap of Osona
- Raid on Okahandja and Predatory War Against the Herero
- Hendrik’s Rivalry in His Own Tribe
- The End of the Old South-West-Africa
- The Last Years of the 19th Century
- The Question of Succession
- Struggle with Hendrik Witbooi and Peace
- Divide et Impera or Leutwein’s Way
- Consolidation of Samuel’s Authority
- The Border Questions
- Turmoil in November 1895
- The Rebellion of 1896
- Rinderpest – Cattle Plague
- About the Disease
- Affected Species
- History and Origin of Cattle Plague
- The Great African Rinderpest Panzootic
- Effects in Ethiopia, Somalia and in Sudan
- Cattle Plague to the South of the Equator
- Effects on the Maasai
- Cattle Plague Reaches South Africa
- Social Effects
- Effects on Transportation
- Mistrust and Uprisings
- The Second Matabele War
- The Langeberg Rebellion
- The Reactions of the Whites
- Search for a Cure
- Vaccination
- Cattle Plague in GSWA/Namibia
- The Advance of the Rinderpest
- The Struggle Against the Disease
- The Extent of the Losses
- Multiple Disasters and Their Effects
- Drought, Locusts, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) 1896
- Malaria 1896-97
- Cattle Plague, Malaria, Famine, Locusts 1897
- Disastrous Year 1898: Ojopesta, the Year of Human Epidemics
- Aftermath of the Disasters: Debt Overload and Loss of Land
- Towards Rebellion
- The Losses
- The Problem of Reservation
- The Credit Regulation
- The Outbreak of the Uprising
- Futile Search for Allies
- Initial Successes of the Herero
- The Herero Lose the Initiative
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Leutwein Assails
- The New Opponent – von Trotha
- Von Trotha’s Plan
- The Encounters at Waterberg
- Withdrawal and Pursuit
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This book aims to reconstruct the history of the Herero people from their emigration from Kaokoveld, focusing on their customs, traditions, population development, and the impact of major historical events. A particular focus is placed on the devastating events of 1896-1900 and their long-term consequences, which have been under-researched by historians.
- The Herero's emigration from Kaokoveld and their subsequent settlement in central Namibia.
- The conflicts between the Herero and other ethnic groups (Nama, Afrikaner).
- The impact of the rinderpest epidemic and other natural disasters (drought, locusts, disease) on the Herero population and their way of life.
- The socio-economic and political changes experienced by the Herero in the late 19th century under German colonial rule.
- The factors leading to the Herero uprising of 1904.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter 2 (Namibia): This chapter provides geographical and climatological information about Namibia, establishing the context for the Herero's history. It also details the indigenous populations present before the Herero's arrival.
Chapter 3 (The Herero People): This chapter describes the Herero people's customs, traditions, social structures, and religious beliefs before the arrival of German colonists. Their diet, clothing, and social organization are meticulously detailed.
Chapter 4 (Early History): This chapter explores the origins and early migrations of the Herero people, examining possible reasons for their exodus from Kaokoveld and their initial struggles for land and resources in their new territory. It attempts to estimate their population size around 1750.
Chapter 5 (Struggle for the Land): This chapter details the Herero's expansion and conflicts with the Nama and Afrikaner populations for land and resources during the period of approximately 1830-1840, highlighting the role of Jonker Afrikaner and his impact on the Herero.
Chapter 6 (The Herero’s Liberation War 1862-1870): This chapter chronicles the Herero's war of liberation against the Orlam and Nama, focusing on key battles and the eventual peace treaty of Okahandja.
Chapter 7 (Reconstruction of the Country and the Herds 1870-1880): This chapter covers the period of relative peace following the war of liberation, focusing on the Herero's efforts to rebuild their herds and the growing tensions with other groups.
Chapter 8 (Ten Years’ War 1880-1890): This chapter discusses the renewed conflicts between the Herero and the Nama, the emergence of Hendrik Witbooi as a major opponent, and the increasing involvement of the German colonial power.
Chapter 9 (The Last Years of the 19th Century): This chapter details the succession crisis following Maharero's death, the continued tensions with Hendrik Witbooi, and the growing influence of the German colonial administration on Herero affairs. It covers the land sales and border disputes.
Chapter 10 (Rinderpest – Cattle Plague): This chapter provides a detailed account of the rinderpest epidemic, its impact on the African continent, and the search for a cure. It also examines the social and economic consequences of the epidemic.
Chapter 11 (Cattle Plague in GSWA/Namibia): This chapter focuses on the impact of the rinderpest epidemic and other disasters (drought, locusts, malaria) on Namibia, specifically analyzing their effects on the Herero population.
Chapter 12 (Towards Rebellion): This chapter analyzes the long-term consequences of the rinderpest and other disasters, leading to the economic and social decline of the Herero and ultimately contributing to the conditions that would fuel the 1904 uprising.
Chapter 13 (The Outbreak of the Uprising): This chapter describes the outbreak of the Herero uprising, its initial successes, and the subsequent German counteroffensive leading to the battle of Waterberg.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Herero, Namibia, Kaokoveld, Rinderpest, Cattle Plague, Colonialism, German South West Africa, Hendrik Witbooi, Samuel Maharero, Nama, Afrikaner, Indigenous Populations, Population Decline, Disease, Drought, Famine, Liberation War, Uprising, 19th Century Africa.
- Citar trabajo
- Rainer Tröndle (Autor), 2023, Rise and Fall of the Herero. From Kaokoveld to Waterberg, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1360705
