Mismanaging expectations. Dutch plans for re-establishment of the KNIL 1942-1946

This thesis deals with the Dutch governmental plans for re-establishment of the Dutch colonial army in the Netherlands East Indies, the Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL) after the Second World War would have ended. These plans were made between 1942 and 1945, when Japan occupied the Netherlands East Indies. After the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945, Dutch preparations turned out to be insufficient, because of the different expectations the Dutch government had about the possibilities of the colonial soldiers than what they were capable of in reality. These colonial soldiers, both Dutch, Indo-Dutch and Indonesian, had been captured and used as forced labourers by the Japanese during the war years. They were unable to fight against Indonesian nationalists and therefore the Dutch government was forced to also call other armed forces from the Netherlands to Asia. Several plans that were made during the Second World War were the establishment of the Mariniersbrigade (Marine...Show moreThis thesis deals with the Dutch governmental plans for re-establishment of the Dutch colonial army in the Netherlands East Indies, the Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL) after the Second World War would have ended. These plans were made between 1942 and 1945, when Japan occupied the Netherlands East Indies. After the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945, Dutch preparations turned out to be insufficient, because of the different expectations the Dutch government had about the possibilities of the colonial soldiers than what they were capable of in reality. These colonial soldiers, both Dutch, Indo-Dutch and Indonesian, had been captured and used as forced labourers by the Japanese during the war years. They were unable to fight against Indonesian nationalists and therefore the Dutch government was forced to also call other armed forces from the Netherlands to Asia. Several plans that were made during the Second World War were the establishment of the Mariniersbrigade (Marine Corps), recruitment of war volunteers and from 1946, a call for Dutch conscript soldiers was also made. Especially the period between 15 August 1945 and March 1946, when the British occupational forces allowed Dutch forces to re-enter the colony for the first time, is rarely investigated in historiography. This thesis fills in that gap, both in time and in topic.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Mismanaging expectations. Dutch plans for re-establishment of the KNIL 1942-1946