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Herero people of South West Africa, now Namibia, rebel against German colonial rule

The Herero and Nama genocide or the Namibian genocide was the extermination of the Herero and the Nama people in German South West Africa (now Namibia) by the German Empire between 1904 and 1908.

The Herero and Nama genocide or the Namibian genocide was the extermination of the Herero and the Nama people in German South West Africa (now Namibia) by the German Empire between 1904 and 1908. Around 40,000 to 80,000 Hereros (80 percent of their prewar population) and 10,000 Nama (half of their prewar population) died.

Facing the consolidation of German rule and attempts to subjugate Africans into a subordinate labor reserve, Herero chief Samuel Maharero launched a surprise uprising on 12 January 1904. Initially the Herero uprising was a success, although colonists were enraged at being defeated by a people they considered inferior. After reinforcements arrived from Germany, the Herero were surrounded and routed at the Battle of Waterberg in August.

Historical Significance

The Herero and Nama genocide or the Namibian genocide was the extermination of the Herero and the Nama people in German South West Africa (now Namibia) by the German Empire between 1904 and 1908.

Events Before

  1. First Powered Flight by the Wright Brothers

    Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

  2. German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (23) weds Serbian physicist and mathematician Mileva Marić (27); divorce in

    German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (23) weds Serbian physicist and mathematician Mileva Marić (27); divorce in 1919

  3. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (27) weds Swiss watch heiress Emma Rauschenbach (19), until her death in 1955

    Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (27) weds Swiss watch heiress Emma Rauschenbach (19), until her death in 1955

  4. Fall of the Sokoto Caliphate in Northern Nigeria, British claim supremacy over 500,000 square miles

    Fall of the Sokoto Caliphate in Northern Nigeria, British claim supremacy over 500,000 square miles

  5. NY Highlanders (Yankees) play their first MLB game, losing 3-1 before 11,950 spectators against the Washington Senators

    NY Highlanders (Yankees) play their first MLB game, losing 3-1 before 11,950 spectators against the Washington Senators at American League Park

Events After

  1. Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

    Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

  2. A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a peti

    A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a petition to the Tsar; troops fire on the protesters in what becomes known as Bloody Sunday

  3. General officer John J. Pershing (44) weds Helen Frances

    General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles.

  4. Albert Einstein finishes his scientific paper detailing his quantum theory of light, a foundation of modern physics

    Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity.

  5. Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle

    Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle, 26th President Theodore Roosevelt

More from the 1900s

First Powered Flight by the Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

science technology

Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

death

James Longstreet dies

James Longstreet, Confederate confederate army general, known for confederate army general, died on 1904-01-02.

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 12, 1904?
The Herero and Nama genocide or the Namibian genocide was the extermination of the Herero and the Nama people in German South West Africa (now Namibia) by the German Empire between 1904 and 1908. Around 40,000 to 80,000 Hereros (80 percent of their prewar population) and 10,000 Nama (half of their prewar population) died. Facing the consolidation of German rule and attempts to subjugate Africans into a subordinate labor reserve, Herero chief Samuel Maharero launched a surprise uprising on 12 January 1904.
Why is Herero people of South West Africa, now Namibia, rebel against German colonia... significant?
The Herero and Nama genocide or the Namibian genocide was the extermination of the Herero and the Nama people in German South West Africa (now Namibia) by the German Empire between 1904 and 1908.

Explore More

January 12 in HistoryYear 1904