Historians have examined the Herero genocide in German South West Africa extensively. The role of the Prusso-German general staff has received only rudimentary treatment, however. The following study focuses on the actions of this institution and its chief. Evidence indicates that initially and with varying degrees of success the general staff was heavily involved in German military actions. After the Battle of Waterberg, however, the local military commander, Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha, fought his own war. Meanwhile, the general staff gravitated toward a different role: shielding Trotha from criticism emanating from German civilian leaders and the public. The impulse to protect sprang not only from a harmony of views about the annihilation of the Herero, but also from an urge to preserve the prestige of the German military after unexpected losses at the hands of “African savages.” In fact, the Prusso-German general staff was complicit in, if not partly responsible for, the conduct of genocidal warfare in GSWA.

中文翻译：

---

普鲁士德国总参谋部和赫雷罗种族灭绝

历史学家广泛研究了德属西南部非洲的赫雷罗种族灭绝。然而，普鲁士-德国总参谋部的角色只得到了基本的待遇。以下研究侧重于该机构及其负责人的行动。有证据表明，最初并取得了不同程度的成功，总参谋部大量参与了德国的军事行动。然而，在沃特堡战役之后，当地军事指挥官洛萨·冯·特罗萨中将发动了自己的战争。与此同时，总参谋部被吸引到一个不同的角色：保护特罗塔免受德国文职领导人和公众的批评。保护的冲动不仅来自对赫雷罗灭绝的一致看法，但也来自在“非洲野蛮人”的意外损失之后维护德国军队威望的冲动。事实上，普鲁士-德国总参谋部参与了 GSWA 的种族灭绝战争，即使不是部分责任人。