Samuel Maharero was paramount chief of the Herero people in German South West Africa. He led the Herero uprising against German rule in February 1904. They attacked German settlements and were initially successful. However the Germans sent reinforcements under the command of Lothar von Trotha who crushed the uprising and perpetrated the Herero genocide, killing up to 80% of their prewar population. Today Samuel Maharero is considered a national hero in Namibia.