German Colonization of Namibia (1884-1915)
Germany declared South West Africa a protectorate in 1884, sending Lutheran missionaries alongside settlers. German forces targeted Herero and Nama tribes who resisted colonial rule. The 1904-1908 genocide killed approximately 80% of the Herero population. Colonial authorities justified the slaughter as suppressing pagan resistance to Christian civilization. Religious rhetoric masked the brutal seizure of tribal lands for German settlement.
