Genocide: - DIIS

Henrik Lundtofte
fi lled with perishing cattle that had to be pulled away and then “the few
water holes only gave… a few litres of bloody malodorous water”. 108
The German soldiers were forced to drink contaminated water, more soldiers
from the lower ranks dying of typhus than of wounds received in
battle against the Herero. 109
This precarious situation most likely infl uenced the German military
leadership in South West Africa to exploit the opportunity given to them
by the fl ight of the Herero towards the Omaheke plains to crush the rising
completely. Thus the situative diffi culties of traditional warfare were
considerably eased, it now only being necessary to occupy the water holes
on the perifery of the Omaheke. It ceased to be necessary to keep the main
force together and in this way smaller German units could ensure their
own survival at the expense of thousands of Herero who were left to die of
starvation and thirst.
Conclusion
“The barren Omaheke would complete what the German weapons had begun:
The annihilation of the Herero people”. 110 It is presumably the lack of
any attempt to conceal the cruel conclusions drawn that has persuaded a
number of historians to conclude that physical extermination of the whole
of the Herero population was the intention from the outset of the German
campaign. However this representation of the extermination of the
Herero as being solely the consequence of the Herero preventing German
endeavours to develop South West Africa presents problems. Rather what
happened was a radicalization in several phases.
108 “Die wenigen Wasserlöcher ergaben, wenn das in ihnen liegende verendende Vieh, mit
dem sie bis zum Rande gefüllt waren, durch die Gespanne der Geschütze herausgezogen
war, nur wenige Liter blutigen, übelriechenden Wassers“. Cited in Generalstabswerk
(1906-08), p. 227-55.
109 Ibid., p. 227-48. According to offi cial fi gures of losses 450 lost their lives of whom 255 died
of typhus.
110 “Die wasserlose Omaheke sollte vollenden, was die deutschen Waffen begonnen hatten:
Die Vernichtung des Hererovolkes“. Generalstabswerk (1906-1908), p. 211.
50