Suriname during World War II

During World War II, Suriname, a Dutch colony located in South America, played a significant role in providing vital resources to the Allied powers, particularly the United States. Here's an overview of Suriname's involvement during this period.
One of the most important contributions of Suriname to the war effort was its bauxite production. Bauxite is a key ingredient in the production of aluminum, which was crucial for the manufacturing of aircraft, vehicles, and other military equipment. The Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) operated bauxite mines in Suriname and established facilities to refine the bauxite into aluminum oxide. The bauxite from Suriname played a critical role in supporting the Allied war industries. Suriname's bauxite reserves were considered strategically valuable by the Allies due to the need for aluminum in various military applications. As a result, the colony was protected from Axis aggression to ensure a stable supply of bauxite. The United States, in particular, had an interest in maintaining access to Suriname's resources. The United States established a military presence in Suriname to safeguard its interests and ensure the stability of bauxite production. American troops were stationed in Suriname to defend the bauxite mines and transportation routes. This military presence also helped prevent any potential Axis attempts to gain control over the colony. The war-related economic activities in Suriname, such as increased bauxite mining and aluminum production, brought economic benefits to the colony. The influx of income and employment opportunities had a positive impact on the local population. The increased American presence in Suriname had a notable impact on the local culture and society. The interactions between American soldiers and the local population led to cultural exchange and introduced new ideas to the region.
After the end of World War II, Suriname's strategic importance diminished, and discussions about decolonization gained momentum. In 1948, the Netherlands granted Suriname limited self-governance, and it eventually gained full independence on November 25, 1975. Suriname's contribution to the Allied war effort through its bauxite production showcases the global scope of World War II and how even distant regions played a role in supporting the war industries of the major powers.
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SOURCES
- Geschiedenis van Suriname. Van stam tot staat (Eveline Bakker, Leo Dalhuisen, Maurits Hassankhan, Frans Steegh).
- Suriname in the Long Twentieth Century. Domination, Contestation, Globalization (Rosemarijn Hoefte).
- www.tweedewereldoorlog.nl/ken... (31-08-2023).
- isgeschiedenis.nl/reportage/s... (31-08-2023).
- werkgroepcaraibischeletteren.... (31-08-2023).
IMAGES
Images from commons.wikimedia.org.
VIDEO
Video material from:
Openbeelden.nl
• Wereldoorlog in de West
Wereldoorlog in de West
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[@HistoryHustle]

Check the playlist of COUNTRIES in WW2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYS1h4GIj8umra8

[@marcoskehl]

✅ 👍

[@AVKnecht]

Thank you for informing us about a part of WWII I knew literally nothing about!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching.

[@dancarter6044]

A real vital battle on par with Stalingrad.

[@marcvanderputten310]

@@dancarter6044 for one, without Suriname the US wouldn't have been able to build so many fighter planes. The war wouldn't have ended how it did without those. War and history are more than battles, what was shown in this docu was at least as important, goes for what ww2 meant for what happened in Suriname and their rise to freedom afterward as well

[@MR_ponki]

suriname, is one of those countries, you never really think of, during ww2, but is one of the most interesting,countries

[@Ahmad_Suhairi]

I'm from Indonesia, a little story about my grandmother was born during the Dutch East Indies era and she was older than Queen Juliana, my grandmother once told me that she remembered and participated in celebrating the birth Queen Juliana in Surabaya . Regardless of the past history of our country and our predecessors, I don't mind because we live in different times and live our own lives. To our relatives in Suriname who have Indonesian blood, may your country and your lives be prosperous

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@aidankitson7877]

Thank you very much Stef. Suriname has always fascinated me . Very few people know that on a continent where mainly Spanish is spoken, there is a little country where Dutch is spoken

[@eriksvens763]

Same here

[@tdliskey4688]

I’ve been. Love it. There is also a memorial for troops from Suriname who fought in Korea.

[@scottabc72]

I vaguely remember reading about the Dutch helping with U-boat patrols along with Brazil and the U.S. operating from Suriname

[@ropeburnsrussell]

Very interesting, I've never considered this aspect of the war.

[@Artur_M.]

Suriname is such an interesting country.

[@Thiago.Acquati]

Here in south América ww2 topic has a similar story: USA enforces the monroe doctrine (América for the americans) and they start operating bases in these countries. Interesting too see the governor Kielstra loyal to the exiled kingdom, while he could ve created more autônomy for the suriname nation. Thanks for sharing the vídeo !!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply Thiago.

[@annivlaflipfan9184]

Alweer een leuke video. Bedankt. 👍

[@HistoryHustle]

Dank voor het kijken.

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

It's interesting to learn of how the European powers' colonies fared during WW2.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks Mr. Adenauer.

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

It could, in theory, be just my memory, since it's been a long time since I was in school, but I can't remember a single history lesson on this matter. Although it was my favorite subject! Anyhow, thanks for this catch-up, meester 👍 Greets from Grun' 🇳🇱, T.

[@erf3176]

My grandfather was stationed in Suriname with the Americans. He got an infection that turned into sepsis, was in a coma for a few days... when he woke up, his men had left for Europe for the Italian campaign. But he contributed to the war effort by providing really good data about how penicillin will actually cure someone of sepsis.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing.

[@celineshoup6039]

I can only parrot what others have said. Thank you for making this video.

[@HistoryHustle]

😁

[@marcelgroen6256]

Een stuk onderbelichte geschiedenis van WO2. Dank om hier wat helderheid aan te geven, Stefan.

[@HistoryHustle]

Bedankt voor je bericht Marcel!

[@g.f.w.6402]

Holländisch is so süss.

[@marcelgroen6256]

@@g.f.w.6402 Richtig

[@Chiller11]

Maybe you could do an episode on Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire etc while you’re in the neighborhood.

[@HistoryHustle]

I did, but it'll take a while before it's done.

[@justanapple8510]

Very cool you are in Suriname stefan!

[@HistoryHustle]

Yes, was a nice visit. Now in Colombia 🇨🇴

[@justanapple8510]

@@HistoryHustle enjoy!

[@jokodihaynes419]

learn something new today may your travels be full of more adventures to share with us

[@jt3307]

Props to actually flying to Suriname to film this lol

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks 😁👍

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

What a treat for history fans ! Fascinating to see photographs and film that, for an English - speaking audience, are seemingly impossible to see. Not to mention that French, Danish, American, British, and Dutch political and linguistic presences throughout both the Caribbean as well as the Latin American mainland ( from Belize to the Virgin Islsnds, Suriname to Guadalupe) are so often overlooked.

[@impcinder100]

I never thought about WW II here. Thank you for this information.

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@livefree223]

I've really been digging your series about the minor powers and colonies during the war. You're not going to see that information almost anywhere else.

[@HistoryHustle]

Awesome to read. Thanks!

[@AnthonyGenualdi]

I always wondered what happened to these Dutch colonies. Thanks for sharing.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks! I also made a made a video on the Dutch Antilles in WW2.

[@marcvanderputten310]

Heel interessant, van die dingen waar hier in Nederland op school nooit wat over verteld werd

[@HistoryHustle]

Dank voor je !

[@wesleyrosa1631]

Amazing video! Taking advantage of the fact that you are in South America, could you make a video about Brazil in the WWII?

[@HistoryHustle]

If I get there then for sure!

[@bigsarge2085]

Interesting as usual, thank you.

[@mammuchan8923]

That was really interesting Stefan, thanks. Enjoy the travels

[@shrirang68]

Hi Stefan. A big hello from India. I am curious to know about the prisoner exchanges between the axis and allies during the course of the war. Can you please help?

[@robertomorsink2014]

That was realy interessing!

[@stephaniedykes4157]

Thank you for this episode. I was previously unaware of Surinam's role during WWII, especially bauxite.

[@Chrizz06041980]

Thank you very much for making this interesting video, Stefan. I've searched about this theme a few months ago and found some information on the dutch language site from Wikipedia by translating it with drag and drop into the german language, because there was written only very little about it in the german and also english language. At some other dutch sites I could translate it by Google Chrome and read, but never found a video about it.

[@nahuelpiguillem2949]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, it's a greatttt topicccccccc

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍👍

[@mikeclendenin6407]

You always come up the great details. Good job.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks Mike.

[@the_clawing_chaos]

Great video. I love obscure history. I am looking forward to your Suriname independence video

[@fryfrysk]

.Dank Stefan.....weer een stukje voor mij onbekende geschiedenis bekender gemaakt !

[@johanvandermeulen9696]

Viel het jou niet op dat de gouverneur van Suriname een friese naam draagt?

[@xvsj5833]

Bravo 👏 Stefan Great review, no stone unturned 💪🏻✌️❤️ Cheers

[@HistoryHustle]

😁👍

[@Adrian-ju7cm]

Very informative video thanks 👍

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your response Adrian.

[@Adrian-ju7cm]

@@HistoryHustle you're welcome and thanks for referencing Aussie forces in Borneo

[@stephanottawa7890]

Great footage, Stefan! I would like to learn more about Suriname and even its present state of affairs, By the way, I did not see any "Click here" Images. Did they get missed???

[@rodneyfungus8249]

A relative of mine was one of the 146 members of the Dutch nazi party from the Dutch East Indies which were held in Suriname. This only came to light when a Dutch journalist contacted me and some other relatives some years ago and came as a bit of a surprise. I wish I knew more about his.

[@HistoryHustle]

Very interesting to read. Thanks for sharing.

[@marcvloeberghs8179]

Thanks Stefan, looking forward to your video about their independence.

[@marcoskehl]

Nice to see you here in south america. Must be hot over there in Suriname. Here, down the 30 parallel, is a mild raining day with 14 ºC at this season Obrigado, Stefan! ヽ(͡◕ ͜ʖ ͡◕)ﾉ 🍀 🇧🇷

[@rjames3981]

Very interesting. I read that the Dutch and English traded New Amsterdam (New York) for Suriname after the 2nd Anglo-Dutch war circa 1667 approx

[@johanvandermeulen9696]

Yes that was at the peace of Breda. In that time we did not realize that Nieuw Amsterdam was more worth than Surinam.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

An informative and wonderful introduction narration about Suriname 🇸🇷 ( Dutch Asian colonial) political circumstances during WW2... video shared by an excellent ( History Hustle) channel introduced by Respectful 🙏 Sir Stefan... thanksfor sharing

[@gibraltersteamboatco888]

Thank you. BZ Weren't there a dozen or so Serinamese with the PIB on D Day?

[@HistoryHustle]

I was not able to find that out actually. But you could be right yes!

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

I know that Guyana supplied the bulk of Bauxite for the Allies; ore for Aluminium. Game changing!

[@HistoryHustle]

True.

[@ulrichlachman1216]

You mean Suriname

[@michaelhemphill8575]

"Instructor".. thanks for the lastest briefing..the "attention" to detail... adds to the continuity..of "subject matter"!!!

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@dickyiwansetiawan555]

It is also quite interesting to know the fact that those interested in negotiating Suriname's independence were the Creole elite, while the Hindustani and Javanese did not agree that Suriname achieved independence.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing. I pointed this out in my recent video on Surinamese independence.

[@antanarivo2589]

an Interesting story to know.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching.

[@nicolaihilckmann4677]

Heb je een aflevering over de Antillen tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog?

[@HistoryHustle]

Opgenomen op Curacao, maar zal pas over een tijd verschenen. Heb nog veel editwerk op stapel.

[@danielcarkner1548]

Thanks for covering this niche topic well. Have never been to Surinam but I researched and wrote a couple of the English Wikipedia articles about some of the internment camps you mentioned. A difficult time with plenty of injustices against some innocent interned people and also plenty of creepy Nazi/far right supporters mixed in with them. For example of the innocent ones Ernest Douwes Dekker, an Indonesian nationalist, and Lo Hartog van Banda, a Dutch cartoonist who had been a Conscientious objector. They weren't Nazis /NSB of course but they were still interned with them

[@robertfogelberg7538]

So intersting

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks!

[@jokodihaynes419]

hope you do a video on the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian)

[@johanvandermeulen9696]

Ther are videos on youtube which handle the Italian Waffen SS division.

[@ulrichlachman1216]

Airport Zanderij was the biggest Airport in South - America during the World War II

[@HistoryHustle]

Ok👍

[@billevans7936]

❤

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@sirdarklust]

That was a nice, obscure topic that never entered my mind. However, it does leave me with questions. What happened to the German prisoners? What did French Guiana do when the Germans invaded Vichy France? Take care.

[@danielcarkner1548]

are you talking about the German internees at Copieweg camp? I wrote about it a bit on Wikipedia: "After the war ended in 1945, the German detainees in the camp were not allowed to leave immediately, as in the camp at Jodensavanne.[22] Some authority figures wanted to deport all of them to Germany, whether or not they had non-German wives.[22] However, there were not enough ships to transport them, and so at first 22 German men who had married Surinamese wives were released.[23][24][22] Later, a handful of other Germans were allowed to be released to Surinam and 35 more were sent to Venezuela.[22] There was talk of sending the remaining internees on a ship to Amsterdam in May 1946, but it did not happen.[25] It was only in February 1947 that the remaining 80 German men, mostly missionaries, were released from the camp and expelled from Surinam and not permitted to return.[2] These sailed to Amsterdam aboard the Bloemfontijn, which also picked up other former German detainees in the Antilles; most of these deportees eventually ended up in East Germany in the area under Soviet occupation.[22][26]"

[@GraemeBray]

About 500 of the Surinamese soldiers that made up their battalion were trained initially in my hometown of Casino, NSW, Australia at the Dutch run, Camp Victory in 1942. Not only were they paid less than Dutch soldiers of the KNIL, they were only paid in worthless Japanese Invasion money. In addition, they not allowed into the town for shopping and recreation, due to racist discrimination by their Dutch officers not wanting them to mix with the local White residents. There were also concerns of intermingling with the local Australian Aboriginal population. Later they were sent north into the Pacific campaigns. The Camp Victory was then turned over to a KNIL repair depot and for Air Force training, while also being used to house political prisoners, formerly from the Tanah Merah prison, later for Indonesian soldiers of the KNIL at the end of the war and the declaration of Indonesian Independence.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing. I heard about racism by Australians towards them as well.

[@ulrichlachman1216]

What do you know about the Surinamese conscripts/soldiers in the police war in Indonesia and also in the Korean War of 1953? Did you know that the South Korean governments honor/commemorate these Surinamese and have built a Korean monument for them in Suriname at the DNA building in Suriname?

[@HistoryHustle]

Perhaps something for the future.

[@serdradion4010]

Boxite is the resource for the Aluminum.

[@HistoryHustle]

Yes.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

A lot came fro Guyana. I have visited there a lot.

[@tng2057]

Hi. When you cover Curaçao, please don’t forget to mention her unique role in saving many European Jews.

[@HistoryHustle]

Recorded a vide on Curaçao. Dunno when it will be out.

[@AdstarAPAD]

1:55 ""Siriname borded french Guyana"" ?????????? WHAT!!! How can one country bord another ??

[@HistoryHustle]

*bordered.

[@pan2aja]

Sami mawon .. podo wae

[@HistoryHustle]

?

[@dancarter6044]

BTW bauxite is pronounced BOX IYTE

[@HistoryHustle]

I see.

[@ulrichlachman1216]

Not everything you are telling innthe video is ok.

[@HistoryHustle]

Please explain.

[@situationsixtynine8743]

Well, we suffered a bit more, got oppressed a bit more, what little we had became less, we had no money but they asked for money, etc etc we didn't leave for the Netherlands to support them, there was more hope of a good life over there than there was in Suriname because the Dutch didn't really care for their former slaves who got deliberately placed on the back foot after the abolishing of slavery in favor of the indentured servants from the (west)Indies

[@HistoryHustle]

Ok.

[@lordasmoday]

get your facs right

[@HistoryHustle]

Explain at least