Henrik Lundtofte :
'"Ich glaube, dass die Nation als solche vernichtet werden muss..."
- the radicalization of the German supression of the Herero revolt 190

In 1904 the Herero people of South-west Africa began an uprising against the German colonial power. Only one year later the Herero population in South-west Africa had been decimated by at least two thirds. The aim of this article is to analyze the radicali-zation of the German suppression of the rebellion. The longterm German intention was to conquer Herero land and cattle. This article, however, claims that this object did not lead to the genocide of the Herero. Instead, the extermination of thousands of Herero men, women, and children is interpreted as the result of the German troops waging total war, which, owing to situative conditions in Soutwestafrica, led to the genocide of the Herero.