A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
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There was great potential for societal change in the African context as a<br />
consequence of <strong>German</strong> colonialism. But in examining African social groupings, one<br />
must always be aware of the danger of hypostatizing an essentialist African that elides the<br />
autochthonous foundations of the groups in rhizomatic and heterogeneous familial, tribal<br />
and trading connections. Therefore, the search for the deterritorializations and<br />
reterritorializations in the African social grouping echoes what Jean-François Bayart has<br />
called the “indissoluble” connections between external and internal dynamics. 15 It is<br />
consequently important to realize that many of the African tribes experiencing<br />
<strong>German</strong>ization were already deeply penetrated by European values, like the Khoikhoi<br />
people of Southwest Africa who spoke Dutch, practiced Christianity and followed<br />
European social codes. It was mostly incidents of native resistance to <strong>German</strong> efforts<br />
that caused substantial transformations in native societies. The 1904 revolt can be seen<br />
as the result of the traditional African social structure’s conflict with the imposed <strong>German</strong><br />
social order. 16 After the revolt, the Herero were completely destroyed as a social group<br />
when survivors were either incarcerated or put to work laying railroads. Yet, African<br />
groups often exploited <strong>German</strong> influence to further their own interests. One example of<br />
this was the army agent Paul Samba who faithfully assisted <strong>German</strong> colonialism until<br />
leading the 1898 Bulu revolt against his former masters. 17 Traditional tribal enemies<br />
would often collaborate against the <strong>German</strong>s, or ally with the <strong>German</strong>s to defeat political<br />
competitors. In addition, certain sectors of tribal society exploited <strong>German</strong> weakness and<br />
established new power for themselves in society thanks to the power dynamics of<br />
colonial expansion. Hendrik Witbooi solidified his political and social position as chief<br />
of the Nama because of his early assistance to <strong>German</strong> colonialism, and later used his<br />
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