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.
Table of Contents
1. Foreword
2. Namibia
2.1. Location
2.2. Climate
2.3. The indigenous population of the country
3. The Herero people
3.1. Manners and customs
3.2. Diet and clothing
3.3. Religion
3.4. Classification and organisation of the people
3.5. Relationships, course of life
4. Early history
4.1. Origin of the Herero
4.2. Reasons for emigration
4.3. Size of the population when abandoning Kaokoveld around 1750
5. Struggle for the land
5.1. Taking possession of the land
5.2. Struggle against Nama and Afrikaner in the time of about 1830 – 1840
5.3. Two decades of supremacy of Jonker Afrikaner, impoverishment of the Herero and decline
5.4. Peace attempts
6. The Herero’s liberation war 1862 – 1870
6.1. Maharero leaves Okahandja
6.2. Military conflicts in 1863
6.3. Encounters 1864
6.4. Raids and battles in 1865
6.5. The year 1867
6.6. Last actions
6.7. The peace of Okahandja
7. Reconstruction of the country and the herds 1870 – 1880
8. Ten year’s war, 1880 – 1890
8.1. Controversial subjects
8.2. The casus belli – the Gurumanas incident
8.3. Maharero’s revenge – the massacre of Okahandja and the destruction of Windhoek
8.4. Counter-attacks of the Nama
8.5. Maharero draws the border of the Herero’s territory
8.6. The new opponent - Hendrik Witbooi
8.6.1. The day of Onguheva
8.6.2. The trap of Osona
8.6.3. Raid on Okahandja and predatory war against the Herero
8.6.4. Hendrik’s rivalry in his own tribe
8.7. The end of the old South-West-Africa
9. The last years of the 19th century
9.1. The question of succession
9.2. Struggle with Hendrik Witbooi and peace
9.3. Divide et impera or Leutwein’s way
9.4. Consolidation of Samuel’s authority
9.5. The border questions
9.6. Turmoil in November 1895
9.7. The rebellion of 1896
10. Rinderpest – Cattle Plague
10.1. About the disease
10.2. Affected species
10.3. History and origin of cattle plague
10.4. The Great African Rinderpest Panzootic
10.4.1. Effects in Ethiopia, Somalia and in Sudan
10.4.2. Cattle plague to the South of the Equator
10.4.2.1. Effects on the Maasai
10.4.2.2. Cattle plague reaches South Africa
10.4.2.3. Social effects
10.4.2.4. Effects on transportation
10.4.2.5. Mistrust and uprisings
10.4.2.6. The Second Matabele War
10.4.2.7. The Langeberg Rebellion
10.4.2.8. The reactions of the whites
10.5. Search for a cure
10.6. Vaccination
11. Cattle plague in GSWA/Namibia
11.1. The advance of the rinderpest
11.2. The struggle against the disease
11.3. The extent of the losses
11.4. Multiple disasters and their effects
11.4.1. Drought, locusts, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) 1896
11.4.2. Malaria 1896-97
11.4.3. Cattle plague, malaria, famine, locusts 1897
11.4.4. Disastrous year 1898: Ojopesta, the year of human epidemics
11.4.5. The years 1899-1900
11.4.6. Aftermath of the disasters: Debt overload and loss of land
12. Towards rebellion
12.1. The losses
12.2. The problem of reservation
12.3. The credit regulation
13. The outbreak of the uprising
13.1. Futile search for allies
13.2. Initial successes of the Herero
13.3. The Herero lose the initiative
13.4. The Empire strikes back
13.4.1. Leutwein assails
13.4.2. The new opponent – von Trotha
13.4.3. Von Trotha’s plan
13.4.4. The encounters at Waterberg
13.4.5. Withdrawal and pursuit
14. Conclusion
14.1. Exodus from Kaokoveld
14.2. Struggle against Nama und Orlam
14.3. A new era
14.4. The uprising
14.5. The survivors
Objectives and Topics
The work aims to provide a historical reconstruction of the Herero people, focusing on their customs, traditions, and development following their emigration from Kaokoveld. The primary objective is to analyze the disastrous years from 1896 to 1900 and their subsequent consequences for the Herero, which have been insufficiently addressed by existing historical literature.
- The migration history and early development of the Herero in Namibia.
- The socio-economic impact of the Great African Rinderpest panzootic (1896-1900).
- The series of natural disasters, epidemics, and famine that threatened the existential basis of the Herero people.
- The political tensions and conflicts culminating in the 1904 uprising against German colonial rule.
Excerpt from the book
3.1. Manners and customs
The Herero were semi nomadic cattle breeders. A tribe normally had a main settlement which could be moved if necessary. Most of the cattle of a clan were spread across a number of mobile stations in the surrounding area and were kept there. The centre point of these cattle posts were the watering places where the animals could drink. This system optimised the use of the pastures. Nevertheless, new pastures had to be sought in times of drought or after excessive increase of the herds.
The Herero were zealous cattle breeders; in addition to that they had goats and sheep. Moreover, they hunted game and collected “veldkost” (wild onions, roots, berries, honey and others)12. After the arrival of European traders, they satisfied their newly created desire for European goods, in particular for arms, alcohol and clothes as well as objects of the daily use by trading off cattle. Moreover, the Herero organised big game hunting in the eighteen seventies and sold a lot of ostrich feathers and elephant tusks.13 In later years they earned money by selling oxen for the transportation business and even acted as hauliers.
Summary of Chapters
1. Foreword: An introductory overview of the Herero's migration to Namibia, their conflicts, and the subsequent devastating period of natural disasters that led to their impoverishment and the 1904 uprising.
2. Namibia: A description of the geographical location and climate of Namibia, emphasizing how its natural borders influenced settlement patterns and agriculture.
3. The Herero people: Detailed examination of Herero culture, including their semi-nomadic cattle-breeding lifestyle, religious beliefs, and complex social organization.
4. Early history: Discussion on the origins of the Herero and evidence regarding their emigration from Kaokoveld around 1750.
5. Struggle for the land: An account of the early territorial conflicts between the Herero, the San, the Damara, and the Nama/Afrikaner tribes.
6. The Herero’s liberation war 1862 – 1870: Detailed record of military conflicts during this period leading to the peace of Okahandja.
7. Reconstruction of the country and the herds 1870 – 1880: Analysis of the postwar stability and the attempt to rebuild herds and traditional structures.
8. Ten year’s war, 1880 – 1890: Examination of the causes and major events of the Ten Years' War, including the rise of Hendrik Witbooi.
9. The last years of the 19th century: Review of the changing political landscape at the turn of the century, succession issues, and early interactions with the German Empire.
10. Rinderpest – Cattle Plague: Extensive scientific and historical discussion of the devastating cattle plague and its panzootic spread in Africa.
11. Cattle plague in GSWA/Namibia: Analysis of how the rinderpest, along with other epidemics and famine, impacted the Namibian environment and the Herero population.
12. Towards rebellion: Examination of economic stressors, land loss, and social tensions that paved the way for the Herero uprising.
13. The outbreak of the uprising: Account of the start of the anti-colonial uprising in 1904 and the subsequent military response by German forces.
14. Conclusion: A final reflection on the historical trajectory of the Herero from their exodus from Kaokoveld to the devastation of the 1904 war.
Keywords
Herero, Namibia, Rinderpest, Cattle Plague, Colonial History, Samuel Maharero, Jonker Afrikaner, German South-West Africa, Land Conflict, Famine, Social Organization, Tribal Succession, Uprising, Natural Disasters, Missionaries
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the work fundamentally about?
The work is a historical reconstruction of the Herero people in Namibia, charting their development from the 18th century, through their territorial expansion and internal/external conflicts, to the catastrophic disasters (rinderpest, famine) and the 1904 uprising against German colonial rule.
What are the central topics of the book?
Central topics include the socio-economic structure of Herero society, territorial struggles against indigenous and European rivals, the impact of environmental and sanitary disasters on the Herero, and the socio-political factors leading to resistance against foreign control.
What is the primary aim?
The primary aim is to outline the history, customs, and development of the Herero nation while focusing specifically on the impact of the disastrous years of 1896-1900, which have been historically overlooked.
Which scientific methods are used?
The author primarily utilizes historical documentation, including archives from the Rhenish Mission and diaries from German 'Schutztruppe' officers, as well as ecological and demographic analyses of colonial-era data.
What is treated in the main body of the text?
The main body treats the chronological timeline of the Herero people, specifically detailing their migration, struggles for land, the liberation wars of the 19th century, the devastating cattle epidemics, and the final outbreak of the uprising in 1904.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Keywords include Herero, Namibia, Rinderpest, Colonial History, Samuel Maharero, Uprising, and Socio-Economic Disasters.
How is the impact of cattle plague described in the book?
The author describes it as a catastrophe of biblical proportions that not only devastated the herds, the economic backbone of Herero society, but also triggered secondary crises such as famine, typhoid, malaria, and social decay, fundamentally altering the Herero nation.
What significance does the "order of destruction" have in the narrative?
The author discusses it as a symbol of the failed colonial strategy of 'von Trotha', noting it represented the frustration of an incompetent military leadership and served as a turning point that led to international criticism and the ultimate collapse of Herero traditional power structures.
How does the author interpret the role of missionaries?
The author notes the missionaries' conflicting roles: they provided food and information, criticized poor colonial governance, but were also fundamentally at odds with Herero customs and traditions, often exacerbating cultural tensions.
- Citation du texte
- Rainer Tröndle (Auteur), 2023, Rise and Fall of the Herero. From Kaokoveld to Waterberg, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1360705
