Lothar von Trotha
Lothar von Trotha | |
|---|---|
Trotha in 1905 | |
| Born | 3 July 1848 Magdeburg, Province of Saxony, Prussia |
| Died | 31 March 1920 (aged 71) Bonn, Germany |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Prussia (1865–1871) German Empire (1871–1906) |
| Branch | Prussian Army Imperial German Army |
| Years of service | 1865–1906 |
| Rank | General der Infanterie (Charakter) |
| Known for | Herero and Nama genocide |
| Battles / wars | Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War Wahehe Rebellion Boxer Rebellion Herero Wars |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha Neumann Lucy Goldstein-Brinckmann |
Adrian Dietrich Lothar von Trotha (3 July 1848 – 31 March 1920) was a German military commander during the European new colonial era. As a brigade commander of the East Asian Expedition Corps, he was involved in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion in Qing China, commanding troops which made up the German contribution to the Eight-Nation Alliance. He later served as governor of German South West Africa and Commander in Chief of its colonial forces, in which role he suppressed a native rebellion during the Herero Wars. He was widely condemned for his brutality in the Herero Wars, particularly for his role in the genocide of the Nama Khoekhoe and the Herero.