Herero Tribe Genocide

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This historical study will define the genocide of the Herero tribe during the 1903 Rebellion against German nationalism and colonial authority. During the 1990s, the expansion of German territories in South West Africa became a growing problem for the sovereignty of the Herero tribes that had owned and operated ranches on this land. German colonialism provided a “protectionist” contract with the tribe, but only to keep out British colonial settles. By the turn of the century, the Germans had taken large areas of land and controlled the Herero economy and ethnic life. German racial superiority defines the overarching theme of genocide, which caused the rebellion of 1903. German soldiers were summoned to destroy the Herero’s as an obstacle to consolidating power as a colonial to advance “civilization” and to annihilate the Herero tribe as a primitive peoples. The Herero Wars are a genocide because they expose the colonial racism and German nationalism that sought to liquidate an entire group of people through military conflict. In essence, The Herero Wars can be defines as a …show more content…

This clear example of genocidal murder and containment of this tribe defines the overarching argument that favors a mass annihilation and removal of people from their indigenous lands. This definition of genocide defines the overt focus of a more powerful group of people seeking to annihilate and destroy an entire group of minorities due to the motive of ethnic purity and colonial policy. In the early 20th century the term “genocide” may not have been in usage, but the lessons learned from General Lotha von Trotha’s desire to entirely destroy the Herero is undeniable—even if the common people of Germany had fought against these atrocities as an imperial mandate to support the

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