Comparative analysis of concentration camps in Africa between 1900 and 1910

Abstract

Colonialism brought extensive suffering to Africans. One manifestation of this was the concentration camp systems established in German South West Africa and the British-controlled areas of Southern Africa. The British colonialists fought the mostly Dutch-born Boers, who had settled in South Africa in the 19th century, while the Germans fought the indigenous Herero and Nama. Both conflicts were motivated by a desire to secure the dominance and economic growth of the respective imperial powers. The concentration camp model, which previously had been seen in Cuba, served as a tool for this purpose. Between 1900 and 1910, approximately 28,000 Boers and 20,000 Africans died in these camps in the southern African territories, while nearly 8,000 Africans, mostly children, died in the German colony.
This paper seeks to answer, among other questions, the following: What conflicts led to establishing concentration camps in the colonies under discussion, and what purpose did they serve? The comparative analysis focuses on the conditions in the camps, the treatment of internees, and the resulting mortality figures.