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===German South West Africa=== In the process of the German annexation of [[South West Africa]], Baster [[Tribal chief|Kaptein]] [[Hermanus van Wyk]] signed a 'Treaty of Protection and Friendship' with the [[German Empire]] on 11 October 1884. It was the first of its kind between any native-descended peoples in the territory and the Germans (Basters were considered native because of their partial African descent).<ref name=Oermann>{{cite book |last=Oermann |first=Nils Ole |title=Mission, Church and State Relations in South West Africa Under German Rule (1884β1915) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UdeXKuIFMQkC&q=%22Josef+Frederiks%22&pg=PA58 |series=Missionsgeschichtliches Archiv |volume=5 |year=1999 |publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag |isbn=9783515075787 |pages=58β60}}</ref> Other sources date this treaty 15 September 1885,<ref name=padlangs>{{Cite book |title=The Centenary of Sam Khubis: A pledge made between rugged rocks |series=Padlangs Publications |volume=8 |last=Goldbeck |first=Manni |date=April 2015 |publisher=Informante reprint, 26 April 2015}}</ref> Under this, "the independent executive powers of the Kaptein and Baster Council, especially for "foreign policy", were significantly curtailed."<ref name="oosthuizen">[http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za GJJ.OOSTHUIZEN, "THE MILITARY ROLE OF THE REHOBOTH BASTERS DURING THE SOUTH AFRICAN INVASION OF GERMAN SOUTH WEST AFRICA, 1914β1915"], ''Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies,'' Vol 28, Nr 1, 1998; accessed 10 April 2016</ref> In 1893, the Germans established the territory of the Basters, known as the Rehoboth ''Gebiet,'' which the settlers tried to expand through negotiation. In this area, the Paternal Laws were recognised. In addition, the German colony had an administrative district known as Rehoboth, which was larger than the Baster-governed area, with the outside areas under German (white) colonial law. Most of the land was developed as farms owned by European, especially German whites.<ref name="lang"/> A second ''Treaty concerning National Service of the Rehoboth Basters'' of 1895 established a small armed contingent among the Basters, which fought alongside German colonists and forces in a number of battles and skirmishes against indigenous peoples. When the German colonists encountered a new wave of conflicts with native peoples, Basters fought with them in quelling the uprisings of the [[Herero people|OvaHerero]] (1896), the [[Swartbooi Nama]] (1897), and the [[Bondelswarts]] (1903). They also participated in the German colonial war and widespread [[genocide]] against the OvaHerero and Nama in the [[Herero Wars]] of 1904β1907.<ref name=padlangs/> [[File:Nama und Damara pg278 Bastards von Rehoboth.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Rehoboth, 1896]] German census reporting on Basters noted their high mobility. The numbers they recorded for the people changed as the Germans changed their racial classifications. Rather than using people's citizenship (as in the community of Basters), they began to classify people according to appearance, as was done in South Africa. A comparison of records suggests that, in 1912, there were about 3,000 Basters in the Rehoboth District. Most Basters were concentrated in the Rehoboth Gebiet, where they lived under their own law.<ref name="lang"/> Relations between Rehoboth and [[Germany]] remained close for more than 20 years until 1914, following the outbreak of [[South-West Africa Campaign|World War I]]. The German ''[[Schutztruppe]]'' ordered all Baster able-bodied men into military service, which they resisted.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> Believing that the German ''[[Schutztruppe]]'' had little chance against the superior South African forces (allied with the British), Basters tried to maintain neutrality towards both, but feared losing their limited autonomy. The Baster Council believed they reached agreement with Governor [[Theodor Seitz]] of South-West Africa that their men would only be used behind the lines. They did not want to participate in a war between whites.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> They disapproved of their men being issued German uniforms, fearing they would be considered regular soldiers. Despite their protests, Baster soldiers were assigned to duties far from the ''Gebiet.'' When Basters were assigned to guard South African [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] in February 1915 at a camp at Uitdraii, they protested because nearly 50 of their men were connected to the people through historic kinship and language. Some aided escape by prisoners, and the Germans limited the number of bullets they issued to the Basters. The South Africans in turn protested being guarded by men they considered as [[Coloured]] (according to their racial classifications).<ref name="oosthuizen"/> General [[Louis Botha]] had earlier written to Lieutenant Colonel Franke against using armed non-whites in service, as he was aware of both [[Cameroon people|Cameroon]]s and Basters serving under arms. Botha said he was ensuring that non-whites were not armed; Franke said that he was using the Cameroon and Baster companies only to police non-white communities.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> [[Cornelius van Wyk]], second ''Kaptein'' of the Rehoboth Basters, arranged to secretly meet with South African General [[Louis Botha]] on 1 April in [[Walvis Bay]] to assure him of the Basters' neutrality. No record was made of the meeting so it is unclear exactly what was promised. Van Wyk was hoping for assurances to have Baster territory and rights acknowledged if South Africa took over the German colony. Botha advised him to stay out of the war.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> Due to South African successes, the German officers advised the Baster Council that they were moving the prisoners of war and Baster guards to the north. At a meeting, they said Basters had three days to decide whether to comply; the latter feared that having their men in the north would mean they would be considered true combatants against South Africa, endangering their own position. Learning of the planned deployment, the Baster guards advised the Council they would not go. Although negotiations were in process, they learned the trains were due to leave the next day, and the night of 18 April, numerous Basters defected from German service, taking arms with them that they intended to turn in at Rehoboth. About 300 men set up defences in two laagers. Learning of this, the Germans disarmed other Baster soldiers in other posts; in the process, one unarmed Baster was killed. Rehoboth was in an uproar, although leaders tried to meet with the Germans to resolve the issues.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> In the meantime, Basters and [[Nama people|Nama]] policemen worked to disarm German officers within the Rehoboth Gebiet, but wounded one fatally and killed another outright. An armed contingent including Nama policemen killed several German citizens, including all of the Karl Bauer family. With that, negotiations were over.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> On 22 April 1915, Lieutenant Colonel Bethe informed the Basters in writing that they had violated the protection treaty and their acts were considered hostile by the Germans. Governor [[Theodor Seitz]] cancelled the protection treaty with the Basters, intending to attack Rehoboth. Van Wyk informed General Botha, who advised him to try to get the Basters out of the area.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> They started moving by wagons and taking large herds of livestock, with many Basters trying to reach the mountains. German attacks against Basters took place around the region. According to Baster history, a 14-year-old Baster girl, who worked for the Germans in a camp, overheard a drunken conversation about their planned attack against the Basters. She took the word to the Kaptein, and around 700 Basters retreated to [[Sam Khubis]] {{Convert|80|km}} south-east of Rehoboth in the mountains, to prepare for German attack. This group included women and children. Van Wyk had hidden his wife and children at farm Garies, along with the wives and children of Stoffel and Willem van Wyk. Stoffel's wife, two children, an adult daughter of Cornelius van Wyk, and his 18-year-old son, were all killed there. The others, including van Wyk's wife Sara, were taken to Leutwein station and released on 13 May.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> On 8 May 1915, the Germans attacked in the [[Battle of Sam Khubis]], where the stronghold was defended by 700 to 800 Basters. Despite repeated attacks and the use of two cannons and three Maxim machine-guns, the Germans were unable to destroy the Basters' position.<ref name="oosthuizen"/> They ended the attack at sunset. At the end of the day, Basters had all but run out of ammunition and expected defeat. That night they appealed to God, pledging to commemorate the day forever should they be spared. Their prayer is engraved on a memorial plaque they later installed at Sam Khubis and reads:<ref name=padlangs/> <blockquote> ''God van ons vaderen / sterke en machtige God / heilig is Uw naam op die ganse aarde / Uw die de hemelen geschapen heft / neigt Uw oor tot ons / luister na die smekingen van Uwe kinderen / de dood staart ons in het gesicht / die kinderen der bose zoeken onze levens / Red ons uit die hand van onze vijanden / en beskermt onze vrouen en kinderen / En dit zult vier ons en onze nacheschlacht zijn een dag als een Zondag / waarop wij Uw naam prijzen en Uw goedertierenheid tot in euwigheid niet vergeten'' "God our father / strong and powerful / holy be Thy name all over the earth / Thou that made heaven / bow Thou down to us / listen to the cries of Thy children / death stares us in the face / the children of evil seek our lives / Save us from the hand of our enemies / and protect our wives and children / and this shall be for us and our kin a day like a Sunday / on which we shall praise Thy name / and Thy gratitude shall not be forgotten in eternity." </blockquote> The Germans had received orders to retreat, which they did the next morning. Rehoboth's Baster community survived.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rehobothbasters.com/casedetails.php?id=244 |title=Sam Khubis |publisher=rehobothbasters.com |access-date=25 April 2012 |archive-date=2 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402082142/http://rehobothbasters.com/casedetails.php?id=244 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This day is celebrated annually by Basters as integral to their history and fortitude. Both units of the Germans were ordered to retreat in order to mobilise against advancing South African troops which reached Rehoboth.<ref name="oosthuizen"/><ref name=padlangs/> As Basters returned to Rehoboth, some killed Germans on their farms. The Germans posted some forces for protection, but withdrew them on 23 May as the South Africans approached. Basters took German livestock and plundered their farms, also attacking the two missionaries' houses. The bloodshed on both sides left long resentment after the war.<ref name="oosthuizen"/>
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