ero ▁died ▁of ▁over work ▁and ▁mal nut r ition . ▁ ▁It ▁took ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁to ▁re - est ab lish ▁authority ▁over ▁the ▁territory . ▁By ▁that ▁time ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁Afr icans ▁estimates ▁range ▁from ▁ 3 4 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁had ▁been ▁either ▁killed ) ▁ ▁or ▁died ▁of ▁th irst ▁while ▁fle eing . ▁ 6 5 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁ 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Her eros ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁N ama . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁campaign , ▁some ▁ 1 9 , 0 0 0 ▁German ▁troops ▁were ▁involved . ▁ ▁At ▁about ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁diam onds ▁were ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁territory , ▁which ▁briefly ▁greatly ▁boost ed ▁its ▁prosper ity . ▁ ▁After math ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁British ▁and ▁South ▁African ▁forces ▁occupied ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁so - called ▁South ▁West ▁Africa ▁Camp aign , ▁and ▁SW ▁Africa ▁officially ▁became ▁a ▁mand ate ▁of ▁South ▁Africa ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁German ▁government ▁officially ▁apolog ised ▁for ▁the ▁at roc ities . ▁" We ▁Germ ans ▁accept ▁our ▁historic ▁and ▁moral