Genocide: - DIIS

“I believe that the nation as such must be annihilated…”
infl ict the fi nal crushing defeat, which up to that point had been the intention,
was both diffi cult and full of problems.
With this new strategy German warfare in South West Africa had moved
into a new and decisive phase militarily and strategically. In so far as the
German military leadership from August 16 had decided to let the barren
Omaheke sand plains fi nish off the job of crushing the rebellion it meant
a fi nal break down of the code that distinguished between civilian Herero
and the warriors; death from thirst did not distinguish between men,
women and children.
On August 26 Trotha gave his forces new orders to the effect that the Herero
were to be chased away from the remaining inadequate water holes on
the borders of the barren Omaheke plains. Trotha’s strategy was aimed
solely at forcing the Herero out onto the Omaheke, “the German forces
moved eastwards with its fl anks bent forward to prevent the enemy from
escape to the North and to the South and to press him into the barren sand
plains” 67 (The italics are mine).
It would seem that the Germans still aspired to infl icting a fi nal crushing
defeat. Herero resistance cannot have given much occasion to hope for a
fi nal battle. German manoeuvres at the beginning of September resulted
only in minor skirmishes with occasional groups of Herero at the edges
of the Omaheke when they, after short and hopeless encounters took to
their heels and abandoned water hole after water hole to the advancing
German forces. The further towards the east the Herero fl ed, the further
to the east the German troops kept up the pressure and continued hunting
their prey. 68 In Generalstabswerk the logical conclusion is therefore, “the
attempt to force the enemy to fi ght another battle did not succeed”. 69
67 “Die deutschen Kolonnen zogen also derart ostwärts, dass die Flügel vorgebogen waren,
um dadurch dem Feinde ein Ausbrechen nach Norden und Süden zu verwehren, und ihn
in das wasserlose Sandfeld zu drücken“. Bayer (1909), 179.
68 Bayer (1909), p. 177-182; Generalstabswerk (1906-08), p. 197.
69 “Der Versuch den Feind erneut zum Kampf zu stellen, hatte keinen Erfolg gehabt“.
Generalstabswerk (1906-08), p. 199.
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