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NSSCO History 6138 study materials
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NSSCO History 6138 practice questions

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Question 1Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which pre-colonial economy dominated the central Namibian plateau, based on large cattle herds and seasonal movement to water points?

  1. San coastal fishing
  2. Ovambo irrigation farming
  3. Nama hunter-gathering
  4. Herero pastoralism Correct answer.

Explanation

Herero communities were cattle pastoralists who moved seasonally between water sources on the central plateau, and cattle also carried social and ritual value. The other lifestyles listed describe different communities or environments.

Question 2Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Ovambo kingdoms of northern Namibia were mainly organised around which economic activity?

  1. Whale hunting
  2. Grain and livestock farming near seasonal floodwaters Correct answer.
  3. Pearl diving
  4. Gold mining

Explanation

Ovambo societies cultivated millet and sorghum and kept cattle on land watered by the Cuvelai floodplain, supporting dense settlement. This agricultural base underpinned their kingdoms and trade networks.

Question 3Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

What was the main purpose of the long-distance trade in ivory and cattle between Namibian communities and Cape merchants in the early nineteenth century?

  1. To obtain guns, horses and manufactured goods Correct answer.
  2. To supply labour to European factories
  3. To establish permanent European settlements inland
  4. To spread Christianity north of the Orange River

Explanation

Namibian and southern African communities exchanged ivory, cattle and hides for firearms, horses, iron goods and other manufactures brought by Cape traders. Access to guns and horses in turn reshaped local power relations.

Question 4Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The migration of Oorlam groups such as the Afrikaner Oorlam into southern Namibia in the early nineteenth century was mainly driven by which factor?

  1. Expulsion by Portuguese authorities in Angola
  2. Discovery of diamonds at Oranjemund
  3. Pressure and conflict in the Cape frontier zone Correct answer.
  4. Famine caused by the Cuvelai flood

Explanation

Oorlam communities of mixed Khoikhoi and European descent moved north from the Cape frontier as colonial expansion and conflict squeezed their position. They brought horses and firearms, which increased their influence over southern Namibian groups.

Question 5Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Jonker Afrikaner's rise to dominance in central Namibia in the 1830s and 1840s rested largely on which advantage?

  1. Control of coastal shipping
  2. Monopoly over copper from Tsumeb
  3. Alliance with Portuguese traders at Luanda
  4. Superior access to horses and firearms Correct answer.

Explanation

Jonker Afrikaner's Oorlam forces used horses and guns obtained through Cape trade to dominate Herero and other communities and to control trade routes. His position depended on this military and commercial advantage rather than on coastal or Portuguese connections.

Question 6Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

What was the main function of the Wesleyan mission station at Warmbad, founded in the early nineteenth century?

  1. A base for missionary work and trade among southern Namibian communities Correct answer.
  2. A military fort guarding the Orange River
  3. A port for exporting guano
  4. A centre for diamond sorting

Explanation

Warmbad served as a missionary outpost from which the Wesleyan Missionary Society reached Nama and other southern communities, and it also became a focus of trade. Missions combined religious work with commercial and diplomatic contact.

Question 7Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which river marked the northern limit of German colonial claims in southern Africa after the 1890 Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty?

  1. Kunene River Correct answer.
  2. Okavango River
  3. Zambezi River
  4. Orange River

Explanation

The 1890 agreement between Germany and Britain fixed the Kunene as the northern boundary of German South West Africa, alongside other border adjustments. The Orange had earlier been recognised as the southern boundary.

Question 8Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 mainly established which principle for European claims in Africa?

  1. Abolition of all chartered companies
  2. Free movement of African traders across borders
  3. Effective occupation as the basis for colonial title Correct answer.
  4. Equal voting rights for African communities

Explanation

The conference set rules requiring powers to demonstrate effective occupation of claimed territory to have those claims recognised. This principle shaped how Germany and Britain justified and consolidated control in southern Africa.

Question 9Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which company received a German imperial charter in 1885 to administer and trade in territories that became German South West Africa?

  1. East India Company
  2. Royal Niger Company
  3. Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwest-Afrika Correct answer.
  4. British South Africa Company

Explanation

The Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwest-Afrika was chartered to acquire land and trading rights in the territory on behalf of German interests. Its activities preceded the establishment of formal German administrative control.

Question 10Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Hendrik Witbooi's resistance to German colonial rule in the 1890s is best explained by which combination of motives?

  1. Support for Portuguese claims in Angola
  2. Defence of Nama independence and opposition to German land and treaty demands Correct answer.
  3. Ambition to become a German colonial official
  4. Desire to expand the slave trade and control copper mines

Explanation

Witbooi resisted German treaties and military pressure because they threatened Nama autonomy and land. His letters show a defence of sovereignty and Christian conviction rather than commercial or foreign allegiances.

Question 11Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The rinderpest epidemic that reached southern Africa in the 1890s had which major consequence for Namibian communities?

  1. It ended the trade in ivory
  2. It forced the Ovambo to abandon agriculture
  3. It caused the discovery of diamonds
  4. It destroyed cattle herds and weakened the economic base of pastoral societies Correct answer.

Explanation

Rinderpest killed most cattle across the region, undermining the wealth and food supply of Herero and other pastoral communities. The loss of herds made them more vulnerable to colonial land seizure and labour demands.

Question 12Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

What was the main effect of the German land expropriation and reservation policy on Herero society in the 1890s?

  1. It confined Herero communities to smaller reserves and reduced their herds Correct answer.
  2. It ended all missionary activity in the territory
  3. It increased Herero access to grazing land
  4. It gave Herero leaders seats in the colonial administration

Explanation

German policy restricted Herero to designated reserves while settlers took land and water points, squeezing pastoral livelihoods. This dispossession was a central grievance behind the 1904 uprising.

Question 13Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Samuel Maharero's decision to launch the Herero uprising in January 1904 was chiefly a response to which development?

  1. The closing of the Cape trade routes
  2. A demand by Ovambo kings for tribute
  3. The loss of Herero land, cattle and judicial authority to German colonial rule Correct answer.
  4. The outbreak of war between Britain and Germany

Explanation

Herero leaders faced accelerating land loss, cattle confiscation and erosion of their legal authority under German administration. The uprising sought to reverse these losses and restore Herero independence.

Question 14Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Battle of Waterberg in August 1904 resulted in which outcome?

  1. A peace treaty recognising Herero autonomy
  2. A German victory that forced Herero groups to flee into the Omaheke Correct answer.
  3. A decisive Herero victory that ended German rule
  4. The withdrawal of German troops from the territory

Explanation

German forces under Lothar von Trotha defeated the Herero at Waterberg, and survivors fled east into the waterless Omaheke. The pursuit and subsequent extermination order caused massive loss of life.

Question 15Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The extermination order issued by Lothar von Trotha in October 1904 is historically significant because it

  1. established a system of Herero self-government
  2. created a treaty of friendship with the Nama
  3. ended the use of concentration camps
  4. called for the killing or expulsion of Herero people from the territory Correct answer.

Explanation

Von Trotha's proclamation ordered Herero to leave the territory or be killed, and it authorised extreme violence against a civilian population. Historians treat it as a key example of colonial genocide in German South West Africa.

Question 16Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Nama resistance led by Hendrik Witbooi and others between 1904 and 1907 differed from the Herero uprising mainly in that it

  1. was confined to a single pitched battle
  2. was led by Ovambo kings
  3. relied on guerrilla tactics over a longer period Correct answer.
  4. ended with a formal alliance with Germany

Explanation

Nama fighters under leaders such as Witbooi, Stürmann and Cornelius used small-unit guerrilla warfare that lasted into 1907. This contrasted with the more concentrated Herero campaign of 1904.

Question 17Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

What was the main purpose of the concentration camps established by German authorities in German South West Africa after 1904?

  1. To house German settlers arriving from Europe
  2. To serve as hospitals for wounded soldiers
  3. To detain and exploit the labour of Herero and Nama survivors Correct answer.
  4. To provide education for Herero children

Explanation

Survivors of the Herero and Nama campaigns were confined in camps where they were used as forced labour under brutal conditions. Mortality in these camps was extremely high, and they formed part of the wider destruction of these societies.

Question 18Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which statement best describes the role of missionaries in Namibian communities before 1884?

  1. They organised armed resistance against all European traders
  2. They had no contact with local political leaders
  3. They introduced literacy and Christianity while also encouraging European settlement and trade Correct answer.
  4. They replaced local chiefs as political rulers

Explanation

Missionaries such as those at Warmbad and later Otjimbingwe taught literacy and Christianity and often mediated between communities and traders. Their presence also prepared the ground for colonial expansion, though they did not formally rule.

Question 19Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Cape Colony's expansion of trade and influence north of the Orange River in the nineteenth century was mainly facilitated by which group of intermediaries?

  1. Bantu-speaking farmers from the Zambezi valley
  2. Portuguese officials from Mozambique
  3. Oorlam and Khoikhoi traders with horses and guns Correct answer.
  4. Arab merchants from Zanzibar

Explanation

Oorlam and Khoikhoi groups acted as intermediaries between Cape merchants and Namibian communities, moving goods and livestock across the Orange River. Their mobility and access to firearms gave them a central role in regional trade.

Question 20Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which group in pre-colonial Namibia was most closely associated with hunting and foraging in the Kalahari and semi-desert areas?

  1. San Correct answer.
  2. Herero
  3. Ovambo
  4. Oorlam

Explanation

San communities lived by hunting and gathering across the drier parts of Namibia and adapted closely to scarce water and seasonal resources. Their economy differed from the pastoralism and farming of neighbouring groups.

Question 21Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The term 'Basters' in nineteenth-century Namibian history refers to which group?

  1. Herero warriors who fought at Waterberg
  2. People of mixed Khoikhoi and European descent who settled at Rehoboth Correct answer.
  3. European officials appointed by Germany
  4. Portuguese settlers on the coast

Explanation

The Basters were descendants of Khoikhoi and European settlers who moved north from the Cape and founded the Rehoboth settlement in 1870. They developed their own political structures and negotiated with neighbouring communities and later with Germany.

Question 22Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Rehoboth settlement founded in 1870 was significant because it

  1. was the site of the first diamond mine
  2. became the capital of German South West Africa
  3. served as a Portuguese trading post
  4. created an autonomous Baster community with its own laws and militia Correct answer.

Explanation

The Basters at Rehoboth established a self-governing community with a written constitution, elected leaders and a militia. They negotiated treaties with German authorities that recognised a degree of autonomy.

Question 23Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Portuguese presence at Angra Pequena (Lüderitz) before German annexation in 1883 was limited mainly because

  1. the area was already a British naval base
  2. local communities had signed a treaty with France
  3. the harbour was unusable for ships
  4. Portugal had not established effective occupation there Correct answer.

Explanation

Portugal claimed the coast but did not effectively occupy Angra Pequena, allowing Adolf Lüderitz to purchase the bay and surrounding land from a local leader in 1883. Germany then declared protection over the area in 1884.

Question 24Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which factor most directly enabled Germany to declare a protectorate over South West Africa in 1884?

  1. A treaty with Portugal ceding Angola
  2. The discovery of gold at Tsumeb
  3. A military victory over the Cape Colony
  4. The purchase of Angra Pequena by Adolf Lüderitz and British reluctance to contest it Correct answer.

Explanation

Lüderitz's acquisition of Angra Pequena gave Germany a foothold, and Britain chose not to press its claims there at that moment. Germany then extended protection over the territory, formalising colonial rule.

Question 25Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Witbooi-Dietrich treaty of 1894 is best understood as

  1. a peace agreement in which Witbooi accepted German protection and service obligations Correct answer.
  2. a land sale transferring Nama territory to France
  3. a trade agreement opening the Kunene to German shipping
  4. an alliance against the British in the Cape

Explanation

After military pressure, Hendrik Witbooi signed a treaty with German commissioner Curt von François in 1894 accepting German protection and agreeing to supply fighters. He later renounced the treaty and resumed resistance in 1904.

Question 26Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which economic activity was the mainstay of the Ovaherero economy in pre-colonial central Namibia?

  1. Coastal whaling and salt production for export
  2. Large-scale cattle herding organised around extended family herds Correct answer.
  3. Intensive rice cultivation along perennial rivers
  4. Deep-shaft copper mining using imported smelting techniques

Explanation

Ovaherero society was centred on cattle, which carried economic, social and ritual value and shaped patterns of movement between waterholes. Herds were held by family groups under senior men, and wealth in cattle determined status and marriage arrangements. Agriculture and hunting supplemented but did not replace pastoralism.

Question 27Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

In the nineteenth century, the Ovambo kingdoms of northern Namibia were especially important to long-distance trade because they

  1. issued a common currency accepted across southern Africa
  2. monopolised the import of firearms from Brazil
  3. produced copper, iron and salt that were exchanged southwards for cattle and hides Correct answer.
  4. controlled the Atlantic coast and taxed passing ships

Explanation

The Ovambo polities combined metallurgy, salt production and grain surpluses, and their goods moved south along established routes to Herero, Nama and later European traders. Trade was conducted through intermediaries and long-distance specialists rather than by coastal shipping. This exchange network linked the northern flood plains to markets far to the south.

Question 28Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Oorlam groups that moved into southern Namibia from the Cape frontier in the early nineteenth century were distinguished from local Nama communities mainly by their

  1. use of horses and firearms and knowledge of Dutch and Cape trading networks Correct answer.
  2. practice of transhumance without any livestock ownership
  3. rejection of Christianity and refusal to trade with Europeans
  4. exclusive reliance on hunting and gathering for subsistence

Explanation

Oorlam communities such as the Witbooi and the Afrikaner Oorlam emerged from Cape colonial society and brought mounted warfare, guns and familiarity with Dutch and Cape commerce. These advantages allowed them to dominate trade routes and to establish authority over older Nama groups. Their mobility and military organisation reshaped power in the southern region.

Question 29Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which statement best explains why the Nama and Oorlam communities of southern Namibia were drawn into conflict with one another during the nineteenth century?

  1. Rivalry over the right to settle north of the Kunene River
  2. Competition for control of trade routes, water sources and cattle in a dry environment Correct answer.
  3. A dispute over which group would supply labour to Portuguese Mozambique
  4. Disagreement over the correct interpretation of Lutheran doctrine

Explanation

In an arid region, control of permanent springs and the trade routes linking the Cape to central Namibia determined wealth and survival. Raiding for cattle and access to water generated recurrent warfare among Nama, Oorlam and Herero groups. These conflicts were economic and political rather than doctrinal or territorial in the far north.

Question 30Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

What was the principal purpose of the annual trade fairs and exchange meetings held between Herero and Ovambo traders in the nineteenth century?

  1. To exchange cattle, iron goods, tobacco and grain across ecological zones Correct answer.
  2. To settle disputes by formal judicial trial
  3. To negotiate treaties with German officials
  4. To recruit soldiers for the Cape frontier wars

Explanation

Trade between Herero and Ovambo communities moved goods between the drier cattle country and the wetter grain and metal-producing north. Cattle, hides, iron, copper and tobacco were exchanged through recognised routes and meeting points. These exchanges were commercial and diplomatic rather than military or judicial.

Question 31Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The migration of groups such as the Kwena and other Setswana-speaking communities into the fringes of the Kalahari in the nineteenth century was chiefly prompted by

  1. pressure from Boer and other raiders seeking land, labour and cattle Correct answer.
  2. the discovery of diamonds at Kimberley
  3. the expansion of the Portuguese prazo system in the Zambezi valley
  4. a series of volcanic eruptions in the interior

Explanation

Raiding from the Cape frontier and from Boer commandos, together with competition for water and pasture, pushed several Tswana-speaking communities to relocate into more marginal areas. They sought defensible settlements and access to trade in ivory and skins. The movement was a response to political and military pressure rather than to mineral discoveries.

Question 32Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which factor best explains the growth of the Cape Colony's trade with communities north of the Orange River in the early nineteenth century?

  1. The closing of the Cape's ports to foreign shipping
  2. The decline of all European demand for African goods
  3. The demand for ivory, hides, cattle and ostrich feathers, and the availability of firearms and beads for exchange Correct answer.
  4. The forced resettlement of all interior communities onto mission stations

Explanation

Cape merchants and frontier traders sought animal products for export and supplied goods such as guns, beads, cloth and tobacco to interior communities. This exchange drew the region into wider commercial networks and encouraged long-distance trade routes. The trade grew because both sides found valued goods to exchange.

Question 33Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

What was the main significance of the 1855 treaty between the Nama leader Jonker Afrikaner and the Herero leader Tjamuaha?

  1. It ceded Walvis Bay to the British Crown
  2. It abolished the slave trade throughout southern Africa
  3. It permanently ended all conflict in central Namibia
  4. It attempted to regulate raiding and trade and to define spheres of influence between the two groups Correct answer.

Explanation

The agreement sought to restrain the raiding that had disrupted trade and to establish a workable relationship between Nama and Herero communities. Treaties of this kind reflected the importance of negotiated access to trade routes and pasture. They rarely eliminated conflict and depended on the standing of the leaders who concluded them.

Question 34Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which commodity became a major export from the Namibian coast and interior during the nineteenth-century trade boom?

  1. Ivory and ostrich feathers Correct answer.
  2. Wheat and barley
  3. Rubber and palm oil
  4. Cocoa and coffee

Explanation

Ivory from elephants and feathers from ostriches commanded high prices in European markets and were central to the export trade of the region. Hunters and traders moved these goods along routes to the Cape and to coastal outlets. Tropical plantation crops and large-scale grain exports did not characterise this area.

Question 35Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The activities of hunters and traders such as those associated with the 'Thirstland' treks of the 1870s illustrate which wider process in nineteenth-century southern Africa?

  1. The withdrawal of European interest from the interior
  2. The abandonment of firearms in favour of spears
  3. The gradual penetration of Boer settlers and traders into areas beyond colonial boundaries Correct answer.
  4. The unification of all African polities into a single state

Explanation

The Dorsland trekkers moved through the Kalahari and into Angola and Namibia in search of land and water, extending Boer settlement and trade beyond the borders of the republics. Their movement brought them into contact and conflict with local communities. It illustrates the wider frontier expansion of settler groups into the interior.

Question 36Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which statement best describes the role of the Wesleyan mission station at Warmbad in the early nineteenth century?

  1. It provided education, literacy and a meeting point for trade and diplomacy among southern communities Correct answer.
  2. It functioned mainly as a military fort garrisoned by British troops
  3. It served as a base for organising armed resistance to the Cape Colony
  4. It was established to recruit labour for the diamond fields

Explanation

Warmbad became a centre where missionaries taught literacy and Christianity and where local leaders and travellers met. Mission stations often combined religious work with trade, mediation and the spread of new skills. They were not military garrisons and predated the diamond fields.

Question 37Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The Herero leader Maharero's decision to seek an alliance with the Cape authorities in the 1860s and 1870s was primarily intended to

  1. obtain support against Nama raiding and secure trade advantages Correct answer.
  2. abolish cattle ownership among the Herero
  3. establish a German protectorate over central Namibia
  4. convert the Herero to Islam

Explanation

Maharero sought British and Cape protection and trade links as a counterweight to Nama and Oorlam pressure from the south. Alliances with colonial officials offered access to goods and diplomatic support in local disputes. The strategy aimed to strengthen Herero bargaining power, not to surrender sovereignty to Germany.

Question 38Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which of the following best explains why the discovery of guano deposits on the Namibian coast attracted international interest in the mid-nineteenth century?

  1. Guano was a valuable fertiliser needed by European agriculture Correct answer.
  2. Guano was used as a fuel for steam engines
  3. Guano was required for the production of glass
  4. Guano served as a substitute for firearms

Explanation

Guano, the accumulated droppings of seabirds, was in great demand as a nitrogen-rich fertiliser for European farms. Its collection and export drew British and other traders to offshore islands and coastal sites. This trade was agricultural and commercial rather than industrial or military.

Question 39Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

The 'Basters' who settled at Rehoboth in 1870 were a community that

  1. were a branch of the Ovaherero royal family
  2. consisted mainly of European missionaries sent by the Rhenish Society
  3. descended largely from Dutch and Cape Dutch-speaking settlers and Khoisan and slave ancestors and developed a distinct identity Correct answer.
  4. were Portuguese soldiers stationed at Angra Pequena

Explanation

The Basters were descended from Cape Dutch settlers, Khoisan people and people of enslaved ancestry, and they developed a distinct language, culture and political organisation. Led by Hermanus van Wyk, they moved north and founded Rehoboth with a written constitution. Their identity was separate from both colonial officials and Herero royalty.

Question 40Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule

Which development most directly enabled Germany to declare a protectorate over South West Africa in 1884?

  1. The acquisition of Angra Pequena by Adolf Lüderitz in 1883 and subsequent appeals for imperial protection Correct answer.
  2. The defeat of the British navy in the Atlantic
  3. The purchase of trading rights from the Basters at Rehoboth
  4. The signing of the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty in 1890

Explanation

Lüderitz obtained coastal land at Angra Pequena in 1883, then sought German imperial protection when his position was challenged. Bismarck's decision to extend protection in 1884 turned the acquisition into a colonial claim. The Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty came later and settled boundaries rather than creating the protectorate.

Question 41Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

Which conference of 1884–1885 laid down rules for European partition of Africa, including the principle of effective occupation, and followed Germany's declaration of a protectorate over South West Africa?

  1. The Berlin Conference Correct answer.
  2. The Algeciras Conference
  3. The Congress of Vienna
  4. The Versailles Conference

Explanation

The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 set the framework for European claims in Africa, including effective occupation. Germany had already declared South West Africa a protectorate in April 1884, before the conference began. The other gatherings do not match the dates and purpose stated.

Question 42Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

Who was the German commissioner who concluded protection treaties with local leaders such as Hendrik Witbooi's rivals and proclaimed German protection over South West Africa in 1884?

  1. Heinrich Göring
  2. Gustav Nachtigal Correct answer.
  3. Theodor Leutwein
  4. Adolf Lüderitz

Explanation

Gustav Nachtigal, as German consul-general, proclaimed the protectorate over the territory in 1884. Lüderitz was the merchant whose acquisitions triggered German interest, but the formal proclamation was Nachtigal's. Leutwein became governor later, in the 1890s.

Question 43Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

The 1885 acquisition of Angra Pequena by a Bremen merchant is best understood in the context of which development?

  1. Boer trekker settlement north of the Orange River
  2. German commercial expansion seeking protected trading footholds overseas Correct answer.
  3. Portuguese attempts to link Angola and Mozambique
  4. British missionary activity along the Orange River

Explanation

Angra Pequena was purchased by a German merchant seeking a secure harbour and trading base, and he then asked for imperial protection. This reflected German commercial expansion rather than Portuguese, British missionary or Boer initiatives. The episode drew the German state into formal annexation.

Question 44Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

Which company was granted administrative and land rights over large parts of central Namibia before the German state took fuller control?

  1. The Imperial British East Africa Company
  2. The Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwestafrika Correct answer.
  3. The Royal Niger Company
  4. The British South Africa Company

Explanation

The Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwestafrika received extensive rights, including mineral and land concessions, in the early colonial period. The other companies operated in south-central, West or East Africa under British charters. Their charters did not cover German South West Africa.

Question 45Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

What was the main purpose of the 'protection treaties' concluded between German officials and local leaders in the 1880s and 1890s?

  1. To secure German claims over territory and peoples while often misunderstanding local ideas of authority Correct answer.
  2. To guarantee local leaders fixed salaries from the German treasury
  3. To establish mission schools funded jointly by churches and chiefs
  4. To create a shared legislative council of Germans and Africans

Explanation

These treaties were instruments for extending German sovereignty, and their meaning was often misunderstood or misrepresented by local signatories. They were not welfare or power-sharing arrangements. German control over land and people expanded through them.

Question 46Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

Which leader led the 1893–1894 resistance against German expansion in the central and southern territory and was killed in 1894?

  1. Kahimemua Nguvauva Correct answer.
  2. Samuel Maharero
  3. Jonker Afrikaner
  4. Hendrik Witbooi

Explanation

Kahimemua Nguvauva of the Mbanderu resisted German encroachment and was executed in 1896; the 1893–1894 campaigns in the south targeted Witbooi's people. Witbooi himself was not killed in 1894. Careful chronology matters here: Witbooi signed a protection treaty in 1894 after military pressure.

Question 47Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

The German colonial economy in Namibia before 1904 depended most heavily on which activity?

  1. Copper exports from Tsumeb
  2. Cattle ranching and land expropriation Correct answer.
  3. Large-scale diamond mining
  4. Commercial fishing along the coast

Explanation

Before 1904 the settler economy rested on cattle ranching and the seizure of African land and livestock. Diamonds were only discovered in 1908 near Lüderitz, and copper mining developed later. Fishing was not a major colonial export in this period.

Question 48Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

Which policy of Theodor Leutwein's administration combined military pressure with treaties and limited recognition of African leaders?

  1. The 'system of chieftainship politics' using divide-and-rule treaties Correct answer.
  2. A policy of total extermination of all African communities
  3. Complete withdrawal of German troops from the interior
  4. Immediate transfer of all land to mission societies

Explanation

Leutwein sought to control African polities through treaties, subsidies and selective military action, playing groups against each other. This is often described as a chieftainship or divide-and-rule policy. It was not extermination, withdrawal or land transfer to missions.

Question 49Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

What was the immediate trigger of the Herero uprising in January 1904?

  1. A German order requiring Herero to surrender firearms and growing land and cattle losses Correct answer.
  2. The discovery of diamonds near Lüderitz
  3. The arrival of South African troops in Windhoek
  4. The outbreak of the First World War

Explanation

The uprising followed escalating land seizures, cattle losses and a German demand that Herero hand in their weapons. Diamonds were found in 1908, the First World War began in 1914, and South African troops arrived in 1915. These later events cannot be the trigger.

Question 50Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945

Who commanded the German forces during the 1904 campaign against the Herero and issued the proclamation that became known as the extermination order?

  1. Gustav Nachtigal
  2. Lothar von Trotha Correct answer.
  3. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck
  4. Theodor Leutwein

Explanation

Lothar von Trotha took command in 1904 and issued the proclamation at Waterberg driving the Herero into the Omaheke. Leutwein had been replaced, Nachtigal was dead by 1885, and Lettow-Vorbeck commanded in German East Africa.