XIXᵉ siècle – XIXᵉ siècle
South West Africa, especially Angra Pequena and the southern coastal strip
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The German colonial occupation of South West Africa began through Adolf Lüderitz’s land purchases and the subsequent intervention of the German government. Lüderitz acquired land around Angra Pequena in 1883 and negotiated a second purchase extending toward the 26th parallel. On 24 April 1884, Otto von Bismarck placed Angra Pequena under German protection and sent gunboats to secure the coast, initiating the formal establishment of German authority in the territory.
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Le récit
The expansion of formal colonial power into South West Africa coincided with intense political and economic change in the territory. In 1883 the German merchant Adolf Lüderitz arrived and began purchasing land, an initiative that the pages describe as laying the foundation for colonial occupation and helping define South West Africa as a political entity. His activities unfolded amid continuing violence and competition among African leaders, traders, missionaries, and colonial powers.
Lüderitz used Heinrich Vogelsang and the Rhenish missionary Johannes Bam to negotiate with Joseph Fredericks of the Bethany people for land around Angra Pequena, soon renamed Lüderitzbucht or Lüderitz Bay. The first agreement was concluded on 1 May 1883. On 25 August, Fredericks and the Bethany people agreed to a second sale covering territory stretching from the Gariep, or Orange, River to the 26th parallel north of Angra Pequena.
The negotiations were shaped by a major misunderstanding over geographical miles. Lüderitz acquired a coastal strip extending inland for twenty geographical miles, while the Bethany negotiators understood a geographical mile as 7.4 kilometres rather than the English mile of 1.6 kilometres. The price was £600, apparently paid in goods, together with 260 rifles. The transaction therefore transferred far more land than the sellers had realised.
The land purchases gave Bismarck a basis for installing German authority in Namibia. By telegram on 24 April 1884, he effectively created the colony by placing Angra Pequena under German protection and sending gunboats to gain effective possession of the coast. Lüderitz was then invited to acquire the coastal strip from the 26th parallel to the Angolan border, although the page notes that these purchases involved agreements with leaders who often lacked control over the lands they claimed to sell.
German intervention developed alongside hesitation in Berlin. Otto von Bismarck had initially warned that colonies would be expensive financially and diplomatically, but by 1884 he was prepared to support colonisation. The pages connect this shift to German nationalism, economic pressures, unemployment, and the wider European scramble for African territory, while noting that Germany intended colonies to be administered by private companies.
XIXᵉ siècle – XIXᵉ siècle
South West Africa, especially Angra Pequena and the southern coastal strip
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The German colonial occupation of South West Africa began through Adolf Lüderitz’s land purchases and the subsequent intervention of the German government. Lüderitz acquired land around Angra Pequena in 1883 and negotiated a second purchase extending toward the 26th parallel. On 24 April 1884, Otto von Bismarck placed Angra Pequena under German protection and sent gunboats to secure the coast, initiating the formal establishment of German authority in the territory.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
The expansion of formal colonial power into South West Africa coincided with intense political and economic change in the territory. In 1883 the German merchant Adolf Lüderitz arrived and began purchasing land, an initiative that the pages describe as laying the foundation for colonial occupation and helping define South West Africa as a political entity. His activities unfolded amid continuing violence and competition among African leaders, traders, missionaries, and colonial powers.
Lüderitz used Heinrich Vogelsang and the Rhenish missionary Johannes Bam to negotiate with Joseph Fredericks of the Bethany people for land around Angra Pequena, soon renamed Lüderitzbucht or Lüderitz Bay. The first agreement was concluded on 1 May 1883. On 25 August, Fredericks and the Bethany people agreed to a second sale covering territory stretching from the Gariep, or Orange, River to the 26th parallel north of Angra Pequena.
The negotiations were shaped by a major misunderstanding over geographical miles. Lüderitz acquired a coastal strip extending inland for twenty geographical miles, while the Bethany negotiators understood a geographical mile as 7.4 kilometres rather than the English mile of 1.6 kilometres. The price was £600, apparently paid in goods, together with 260 rifles. The transaction therefore transferred far more land than the sellers had realised.
The land purchases gave Bismarck a basis for installing German authority in Namibia. By telegram on 24 April 1884, he effectively created the colony by placing Angra Pequena under German protection and sending gunboats to gain effective possession of the coast. Lüderitz was then invited to acquire the coastal strip from the 26th parallel to the Angolan border, although the page notes that these purchases involved agreements with leaders who often lacked control over the lands they claimed to sell.
German intervention developed alongside hesitation in Berlin. Otto von Bismarck had initially warned that colonies would be expensive financially and diplomatically, but by 1884 he was prepared to support colonisation. The pages connect this shift to German nationalism, economic pressures, unemployment, and the wider European scramble for African territory, while noting that Germany intended colonies to be administered by private companies.
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