German southwest Africa

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Acquisition

On behalf of Bremen the buyer load-cut acquires in May 1883 the Heinrich bird-sang from the Hottentotten captain Josef Frederick for 200 old rifles and 100 English Pound the bay of Angra Pequena, which today's load-cut, with five miles hinterland. This area was placed on 24 April 1884 under the protection of the German Reich, in order to secure the land acquisitions of Bremen of the buyer against British territorial claims. Until today has the city and the lying close coast load-cut (booked) its name kept (and actually still with written). The first official Flaggenhissung took place on 7 August 1884 under participation of crews of German warships, representatives of the company and the Josef Frederick together with its advice people in the solemn framework. 1885 are furnished in Otjimbingwe the first administrative seat. since that time 1886 do not turn Adolf load-cut from an expedition at the Oranje back and were considered as verschollen. Probably it drowned in the delta of the Oranje river (a corpse never one found).

1890 became larger German southwest around the Caprivizipfel in the northeast, by which new commercial routes promised itself. This area gain was based on the Helgoland Sansibar contract. On 18 October of the same yearly on operation of the captain Curt of Francois the foundation-stone for the celebrations "„largely Windhuk "“is put. The protected area administration comes soon thereafter into this fortress. Around it the later state capital Windhuk develops in the course of the coming years.

Population

German southwest Africa was the only colony of Germany, in which a purposeful settlement of Germans took place in the larger style. Apart from the exploitation of diamonds and copper it was in particular the cattle breeding, which lured German settlers in the country. 1902 had the colony of about 200,000 inhabitants, of it however only 2,595 Germans, 1,354 Buren and the 452 British. To 1914 further 9,000 German settlers were added. There were probably about 80,000 Herero, 60,000 Owambo, 35,000 Damara and 10,000 Nama "„Hottentotten "“mentioned).

Infrastructure

The first railway connection between Swakopmund and Windhuk was opened 1902. Up to the end 1915 a substantial number of connections in the south and the north of the country followed the German rule; above all Keetmanshoop, Mariental and Tsumeb. Thus German southwest Africa had the most extensive route network of all realm-German colonies. With the structure of this traction network the Germans had completely crucial portion of the ascent of the country. The early, of state because of supported attempt to open with truck the country did not bring a success with two imported models, since these sagged in the desert sand. and in such a way one left it up to the end of German colonial rule with the ox-covered trucks, which used also the military.

Colonial force and first conflicts with native ones

Until 1888 the imperial colonial force consisted of two officers, five NCOs and 20 black soldiers under captain Curt of Francois. 1889 enlisted Curt of Francois on behalf the realm 21 men a strong private troop for the German colonization and administration company for colonies.

In the year 1893 further reinforcement of the colonial force of the German colonization and administration company for colonies took place on altogether 2 companies. On 12 April this yearly attacked again and again the chieftain Hendrik Witbooi in its camps horn ring, revolting, against the German rule and, from Francois. After persistent fight Hendrik Witbooi fled into the Naukluft. Beginning of the yearly 1894 came the major, later national captain and governor Theodor Leutwein into the country. It struck the Witbooi with 3 companies, entrenchd in the Naukluftgebirge, in August/September. After the defeat Leutwein with the chieftain closed a very moderate peace treaty and assigned to the Witbooi trunk the area around Gibeon as domicile. Hendrik Witbooi adhered scarcely 10 years to the present Treaty and carried out in some cases even army sequence. But when it saw the interests of its people ever more threatened, it changed the front again.

Governor Leutwein furnished citizens of Berlin the office for colonial the first Herero reservation in the year 1903 against the will of the German settlers and. In December the people of the Bondelzwarts in the south of the country revolted. The north was exposed thereby by colonial force units.