German Rule, African Subjects: State Aspirations and the Reality of Power in Colonial Namibia

German colonial rule in South West Africa lasted thirty years and resulted in the first genocide of the twentieth century against the Herero and Nama. The colonial government's efforts to establish a 'model colony' and 'racial state' had destructive and long-lasting consequences, leading to profound immiseration of the African population. This book provides an indispensable account of Germany's attempts to make a colonial utopia in Namibia, showing how the highly rationalized planning of Wilhelmine authorities ultimately failed. It also highlights the nature of everyday life in the racist state, the transmutation of a legal system based on racial distinctions into structural and individual exploitation, and the gravest after-effects of German colonial rule, including the genocide.

Format: Paperback / softback
Publication date: 01 August 2022
Publisher: Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd

German colonial rule in South West Africa had a profound and lasting impact, lasting only thirty years. The colonial government not only committed the first genocide of the twentieth century against the Herero and Nama but also pursued a policy of racial state-building that had devastating consequences. In this now-classic study, the author provides an indispensable account of Germany's attempts to create a colonial utopia in present-day Namibia. The book reveals how the highly rationalized planning of Wilhelmine authorities ultimately failed, while also contributing to the profound immiseration of the African population.

German Rule, African Subjects explores the nature of everyday life in a racist state, the transformation of a legal system based on racial distinctions into structural and individual exploitation, and the barbarity that resulted. It demonstrates that the racist state, with its core features established before 1904, was the defining characteristic of German colonial rule and was responsible for its most severe after-effects, including the genocide. The book challenges the false image of German colonial rule as benevolent before 1904 and the notion of a "peace of the graveyard" following the genocide.

The author's analysis is based on extensive research, including primary sources and secondary literature, and provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of the period. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of colonialism, racism, and the consequences of imperialism. It sheds light on the complex and often contradictory nature of German colonial rule and its impact on the people of South West Africa.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 235 x 155 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781431432288