Britain, Germany and Colonial Violence in South-West Africa, 1884-1919

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 1-14

3. Colonial Violence in Southern Africa at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 15-42

4. Imperial Cooperation and Anglo-German Diplomacy

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 43-69

5. Concerns and Non-Cooperation

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 71-91

6. Case 609: African Refugees in British Territory

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 93-119

7. Knowledge and Reactions

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 121-152

8. Atrocity Narratives and the End of German Colonialism, 1918–19

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 153-191

9. Conclusion

   • Mads Bomholt Nielsen

   Pages 193-201

10. Back Matter

    Pages 203-233

    PDF

Reflecting emerging scholarship on the entanglement of colonial histories, this book examines British and South African perspectives on, and involvement in, the genocide of the Herero and Nama in German South West Africa from 1904 to 1908. Seeking to present a transnational and trans-colonial perspective on the war imposed by Germany, the book sheds light on Anglo-German relations during ‘native' rebellions and exposes shared experiences of colonial violence. This approach aligns with a new surge of historiography which emphasises the co-operation between colonial powers to maintain order in Africa. The author focuses on British involvement in counter-insurgency efforts, its awareness of the extent of the genocide, and how the Herero-Nama War impacted colonial rule in British territory. The book sheds light on how the British government intentionally managed sensitive information on German colonialism according to the geopolitical needs: While reports were ignored and censored prior to1914, these became instrumental to Britain’s foreign policy in confiscating Germany’s colonies in 1919. Not only exploring the war years, the book covers the entire period of German colonial rule in Africa (1884-1919), and highlights British and South African perspectives throughout this period. Offering fresh insights on the first genocide of the century, this book builds on a growing body of research into trans-colonialism and contributes to modern German history.

• German South West Africa
• Anglo-German relations
• German Empire
• South Africa
• Cape
• Bechuanaland
• Union of South Africa
• Trans-colonialism
• Rebellion
• Counter-insurgency
• Sonderweg
• German history
• Racism
• Colonial power

“With its trans-imperial outlook, this book represents a high-quality and original contribution to the field of colonial history. The author enhances our knowledge and draws on archival sources that have seldom been used in historical scholarship. By highlighting different perspectives towards German colonial violence from Cape Town and London, the book provides a welcome differentiation highlighting the ambivalent British reactions to the German neighbour in Africa.”

Jonas Kreienbaum, Professor, Historical Institute of the University of Rostock, Germany

• Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Copenhagen, Denmark

  Mads Bomholt Nielsen

Mads Bomholt Nielsen is currently working at the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science in Denmark. Previously, he was Carlsberg Foundation Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Copenhagen. He obtained his PhD from King’s College London in 2017.

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