Indonesia

Student goals:
• Get an overview of the Dutch-East indies relationship

• Program
• Make a timeline with help of 5.2.
• 1602-1949
 • The Japanese occupation of
Indonesia!

Lesson 2
 Japan’s world
politics
• At the turn of the century Japan started
become an industrial powerhouse!
• It started to project power in Asia
• Conquered: Korea, part of China and Russia!
• Just before WWII the Japanese started an
other round of conquest of China. (1937)
• It wanted an empire like the Europeans
• America, Britain and the Dutch boycotted it!
 No Oil, Tin and Rubber!
• Without the resources the Japanese would
lose the war in China!
In 1941 the Japanese
started a preemptive strike
to defeat the Western
Powers!

• In a couple of weeks, the

whole of southeast Asia was
conquered! (1942)
• The Dutch East indies were a
big price!
• Oil, Rubber, Tin, Rice,
Manpower Etc.
• The Dutch K.N.I.L. didn’t stand
a change against the modern
and well-trained Japanese!
• White people aren’t superior?
• A lot of Asians happy! No
more abuse by Europeans!
The Japanese occupation
1942-1945
• They “liberated Asia”
• Asia for Asians
• A lot of Indonesian support

• The Dutch, The KNIL and other white people are put into
camps!
• These conditions are horrible!
• Not enough food, slave labor and “troost meisjes”.
• https://npokennis.nl/longread/7845/hoe-hebben-nederlan
ders-de-bezetting-van-nederlands-indie-ervaren
 If you help us, we will make
you independent!
Anti colonial/Anti Western
Promoted Indonesian
nationalism!
However! The Japanese were
horrible overlords!
- Food shortages,
- Forced labor
- Stores were empty
- Japanese habits are forced
on the Indonesian people!

The Japanese liberator?

The Dutch
• https://npokennis.nl/longread/78
45/hoe-hebben-nederlanders-de-
bezetting-van-nederlands-indie-e
rvaren
• End of the war the camps
got worse and worse!
• Burma railway
• Diseases!
 End of the war!

• August 1945
• 2 atomic bombs ended the war
• Japan surrendered
• Indonesia declared her
independence (Soekarno)
• Dutch government still recovering
from German occupation
• Dutch in Indonesia in camps!
After the war:

• The Dutch wanted to return to the prewar

years  a colony
• The Japanese stayed to keep the peace

•However, the war proved:

• Racial superiority is a myth
• Japanese proved you can win a war from
holland
• Indonesian nationalism has grown
• The Dutch didn’t have an army to control
Indonesia
Do 5.3 1 until 5.
5.4. The Indonesian War of Independence
In august 1945 Soekarno declared Indonesia
independent
• The Japanese stayed to keep the
peace
• The indonesian national youth
started to gang up and kill: Dutch,
Chinese and other non-Indonesians.
• This periode is known as the
Bersiap Aug 45-March 46
• Dutch who just got back from the
Japanese camp  Returned to the
camp for safety
Dutch army
returns!
• In april 1946 the Dutch army
started to return
• They didn’t want to accept the
independence
• A huge fight broke out!
• Dutch were able retake the Cities!
However, the countryside was
still in the hands of the rebels
Soekarno
• Was a man the Dutch didn’t
trust!
• He worked with the Japanese!
• Collaborator!
• Not to be trusted!
• Will be the leader of “Indonesia”.
War of Independence or politionele acties?
• The Dutch had 2 big military actions:
Conquered back most of Indonesia
and the leaders of the rebels.
• The Dutch called it politionele
acties.
• The Indonesians call it an
independence war.
• 300.000 Indonesians killed
• The Dutch were torn!  Aren’t we
like the Nazi's? Dutch men were
conscripted