Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- history of Namibia - South African conquest of Namibia
- Southern Africa - Expropriation of African land
- Western colonialism - The race for colonies in sub-Saharan Africa
- German South West Africa
- Namibia - The South African conquest
- Namibia - The German conquest
- history of Namibia - German conquest of Namibia
Why did Britain not annex Namibia in the 1870s?
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In the 1870s, the annexation of Namibia by the British Empire appeared to be a distinct possibility, signaled by the raising of the British flag over Walvis Bay and a treaty with the Herero people. These actions were widely viewed as precursors to the northward expansion of the Cape Colony.12
However, the British government in London ultimately declined to proceed with full annexation. This reluctance was primarily driven by a desire to avoid the additional financial costs associated with administering a territory that was perceived at the time as being valueless. By choosing not to commit to the region, Britain left the door open for Germany to establish German South West Africa in the 1880s.12