German South West Africa was a historical German colonial territory located in southwestern Africa from 1884 to 1919. It encompassed the present-day country of Namibia and was situated between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Kalahari Desert to the east. Also known as Deutsch-Südwestafrika in German, the territory was obtained by Imperial Germany through the Berlin Conference in 1884 and subsequently administered as a protectorate.
During the German occupation, German South West Africa experienced significant development and exploitation by the German government and private companies. The German administration aimed to extract natural resources, particularly diamonds and copper, and establish commercial agriculture, primarily in the form of livestock farming. German colonization also brought about the construction of infrastructure, such as railways and ports, which contributed to economic growth and facilitated the transportation of goods.
However, German South West Africa also witnessed acts of colonial violence and the dispossession of indigenous lands, leading to conflicts with the local tribes. The indigenous populations, primarily the Herero and Nama people, experienced forced labor, displacement, and violent repression under German rule. The most notable event during this period was the Herero and Nama genocide, where a significant number of indigenous people were killed, leading to demographic and cultural devastation.
After World War I, German South West Africa was placed under South African administration as a League of Nations mandate and eventually gained independence as Namibia in 1990. German influence on the region is still evident today, particularly in terms of architecture, names, and cultural elements.
