The Devil's Handwriting: Precoloniality and the German Colonial State in Qingdao, Samoa, and Southwest Africa

by George Steinmetz

Germany’s overseas colonial empire was relatively short lived, lasting from 1884 to 1918. During this period, dramatically different policies were enacted in the in Southwest Africa, German troops carried out a brutal slaughter of the Herero people; in Samoa, authorities pursued a paternalistic defense of native culture; in Qingdao, China, policy veered between harsh racism and cultural exchange.


Why did the same colonizing power act in such differing ways? In The Devil’s Handwriting , George Steinmetz tackles this question through a brilliant cross-cultural analysis of German colonialism, leading to a new conceptualization of the colonial state and postcolonial theory. Steinmetz uncovers the roots of colonial behavior in precolonial European ethnographies, where the Hereros were portrayed as cruel and inhuman, the Samoans were idealized as “noble savages,” and depictions of Chinese culture were mixed. The effects of status competition among colonial officials, colonizers’ identification with their subjects, and the different strategies of cooperation and resistance offered by the colonized are also scrutinized in this deeply nuanced and ambitious comparative history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Germany, Anthropology

608 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jeremy Hurdis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although the history of German imperialism is not often attended to in English, this book does not set a good standard. The book offers a very broad analysis of German sources on imperialism, attempting to explore ethnography as a factor in diverse policy-making administrations, and rejecting the primacy of economic determinism (especially from Marxism). As a result, Steinmetz produced a history/sociology of knowledge production with regards to race (orientalism) without any theory of capital, ideology, politics, or liberalism that might help to make sense of these knowledge regimes in their historical context. Limiting his analysis to three colonial cases, Southwest Africa, Samoa, and Qingdao, he fails to take into account global events that might effect the policies within these colonies.

Overall, the book raises all the right questions, but does not respond to any of them particularly well. His use of Lacan is too simplistic to be useful in this book. His lack of discussion on capital or ideology leaves the subject of ethnography detached and feeble.

[Chloe Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge book but I really loved it! Even though this came out about two decades ago it remains the only historical-sociological treatment of German colonies in Africa, the Pacific, and China, especially in dealing with how precolonial imaginations influenced colonial policy; and Steinmetz goes even further to suggest that German native policies rarely went beyond precolonial discourse. It is a very academic book though I cannot imagine it appealing to an audience outside of this niche, though he has a great writing style.

[Vionwinnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good on the Chinese chapter - relate to both past and colonial legacy. a fine comparison of the three German colonies.