A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...

security that in turn motivated some Germans to support aggressive economic expansion
in the colonies. However, later abuses in the colonies shifted public opinion as the
abuses were seen to be the result of the lack of restraints upon the charter companies. 30
Economics had an even greater impact upon the African population, since they
were the subjects of the European economic system forced upon traditional African
economic networks. The wealth-potential of German trade that was introduced to
African systems of exchange had an understandably massive effect. Pre-colonial African
economics were shattered by the possibilities of Western technology and economics.
Traditional trade networks were disrupted in favour of products favoured by German
business, and precious goods that could have supported African economics were often
diverted to European trade. As German control was consolidated, African peoples were
forbidden from selling their products on the market and had to enlist German
intermediaries. 31 This illustrated the deterritorialization of native economics in favour of
German trade. While autochthonous peoples tried to reterritorialize alternate commercial
transactions, the German economic structures rendered this impossible. Widespread
impoverishment amongst groups caused the Southwest African administration to suspend
credit sales to the nomadic tribes, but even this “radical” measure was rescinded by the
Chancellor upon the request of the business lobby. 32 Extortionate business dealings like
the exploitative credit transactions forced upon the Herero peoples by German traders and
the reciprocal trading practices on the part of powerful autonomous tribes like the Herero
show the precedence of economics in relations between Germans and Africans. 33 In fact,
one of the first indications of the 1904 revolt was Herero attacks upon these same
German merchants. 34 Here was a reterritorialization of German capital as tribal peoples
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