The Defense Plans for the Dutch East Indies during World War II

Early 1942 the Dutch East Indies Campaign started. In a few month the Japanese conquered the Dutch East Indies. The KNIL (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; Royal Netherlands East Indies Army) was not able to stop the Japanese onslaught. Did you know the KNIL was the so-called 'third line of defense'. The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the first and the second was the Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine). The KNIL was led by Hein ter Poorten. In 1927 plans were established for a proper defense against a foreign invader.
History Hustle presents: the Defense Plans for the Dutch East Indies during World War II.
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SOURCES
- The Netherlands East Indies Campaign 1941-42. Japan's Quest for Oil [Campaign 364] (Marc Lohnstein).
- Revolusi. Indonesië en het ontstaan van de moderne wereld (David van Reybrouck).
- Koloniale oorlogen in Indonesië. Vijf eeuwen verzet tegen vreemde overheersing (Piet Hagen).
- Het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger. Geschiedenis, uniformering en uitrusting, 1911-1942 (Tristan Broos).
- Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 1936-42 [Men-at-Arms Book 521] ( Marc Lohnstein).
- The invasion of the Dutch East Indies (Willem Remmelink).
IMAGES
Images from commons.wikimedia.org.
VIDEO
Video material from:
openbeelden.nl/media/1302059/...
Japan verovert Zuidoost-Azië
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VIERDAAGSE
• Een patrouille Marecha...
Een patrouille Marechaussee te Atjeh - 1936
• Militaire luchtvaart v...
Militaire luchtvaart van het KNIL
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[@HistoryHustle]

NOSTALGIA: check out one of my OLDEST videos on the Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies (with reenacted scenes): kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXvLfKeuZriFpNk

[@marcoskehl]

✅ 👍

[@charlieclark5838]

A good film Stefan, one of the footnotes of history was the collapse of Empires during the Second World War which exposed their ultimate weakness, the inability to convince the people they 'administered' that it was in their best interest to fight the Japanese without any plans or promises about their future political political independence , thus the world changes. Again you shine the light into another hardly covered dark corner of WW2.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply.

[@Heike--]

In their best interest? WTF? The Dutch ruthlessly exploited Indonesia. Robbed them then shot them when they tried to stand up for themselves. Is it any wonder they didn't see any difference from the Japanese?

[@tng2057]

The irony is that Japan used to adore the Netherlands during the Shogun era (ended 1868). At the time Japan closed the country and only permitted the Netherlands and no other country to trade with them (at Nagasaki) with some conditions to the Dutch including one major condition obliging the Dutch to report to the Shogunate regularly what the latest science and art developments were in Europe. ‘Land (abbreviation for the Netherlands) Study’, based on those regular reports from the Dutch, was an in topic among the Japanese intellectuals during that time. And it were these Land Study enthusiasts who led the charge of overthrowing the Shogunate and spearheaded the Meiji Reformation started in 1870s, which eventually led to the Japanese expansionism…

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing your insights on this.

[@tng2057]

@@HistoryHustle One more trivial fact to share with Mr Teacher. Japan named (again in abbreviations) Netherlands East Indies and French Indochina 蘭印 and 佛印 respectively. 蘭印 literally means Land Indies, and 佛印 means Buddha(!!) Indies. Why Buddha? Just happen that when the word France got translated to Japanese the first vowel is similar to the word Buddha 佛。It is shear coincidence that Indonesia was / is predominantly Islamic (with Bali being exception - Hindu)while Indochina yes was / is predominantly Buddhist!

[@Artur_M.]

Oh, I see that we are going back to one of your specialties. 😁

[@HistoryHustle]

=D

[@isaacrhodes4617]

Awesome lesson as usual❤. Do you dress in period uniforms when teaching kids? Very cool/fun stuff😊

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your comment.

[@xvsj5833]

My favorite history teacher Stefan Thank you!!! Have a great weekend ✌️❤

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for you response.

[@heipuntnl]

Zeer waardevol zoals altijd! dankje!

[@HistoryHustle]

Dank voor het kijken!

[@coling3957]

12:10 - there seemed to be a competition for "silliest hats" worn. the pith helmets worn by the Dutch looked pretty bizarre. was there a small fan enclosed inside the elongated top? :)

[@davidchiles5331]

Don't be stupid

[@HistoryHustle]

I know, these were far from effective and replaced by the bamboo hat.

[@xvsj5833]

Thanks!

[@HistoryHustle]

Once else many MANY thanks Jesse! 😁😁😁

[@bigsarge2085]

Always interesting, thank you.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply Big Sarge!

[@kensilverstone1656]

Clear, concise and helpful.

[@HistoryHustle]

😁👍

[@lillywildflower]

Happy to help with info for the next video which includes Australia…. I am Australian. Mum was Dutch but dad’s family has been here since the start 😂. My grandfather was on the ship that was bombed in Western Australia in 1942. His brother fought in Burma and Papua New Guinea… but another brother died in Queensland Australia after Middle East battles. The US army had a base in Queensland because they were worried about an attack

[@felixmbandandayitabi4536]

The Dutch were the first to realize through a crushing defeat that colonialism was a dead horse. There were no good solution nor any hope of victory even if the Japanese didn't invade. I am fascinated by the fact that the Dutch colonial leadership did even think about fighting. After the war they tried to push back the clock to no avail.

[@gumdeo]

The Dutch were the most realistic of the empires. The French and Portuguese preferred to fight long colonial wars, which they eventually lost anyway.

[@felixmbandandayitabi4536]

@@gumdeo i beg to differ, they were the first to be crushed by a non white power and then by a war of liberation.

[@ignatiusryd2031]

​@@gumdeo Not really. Post-WWII after mainland Netherlands liberated from the hands of Germany, the politics in there were heavily dominated with factions that were literally tried to reverse the clock back, the political groups that still believe Netherlands would be welcomed back in Indonesia (formerly Dutch East Indies) since Indonesia before their independence were Netherland's beloved Jewel Colony. Unforutnately they were fatally miscalculate everything and also failed miserably in their bloody adventure in Indonesia started from Battle of Surabaya in November 1945 to Roem-Royen agreement in late 1949 that leads to The Hague Peace Conference in 1950.

[@gumdeo]

@@ignatiusryd2031 In other words, they accepted the reality far earlier than other European powers. 1950 was incredibly early to wake up.

[@HistoryHustle]

More on Dutch colonialism in the east: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6KrlKx3n5KAsJI&pp=ygUeaG93IGR1dGNoIGNvbnRyb2xsZWQgaW5kb25lc2lh

[@CARL_093]

very good topic bro on what plans and what happen to the dutch colony during ww2

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your comment 012!

[@rjames3981]

Very interesting 👌 Didn’t know much about this topic.

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍👍

[@michaelhemphill8575]

Very Good presentation.." History Hustle".."!!!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Another wonderful historical coverage video was shared by an excellent ( History Hustle)channel... informative and significant introduction was introduced of military circumstances of the Duch army during the early years of World War Two...in Indonesian colonial Islands I don't heard it in such details....thank you (Sir Stefan)....

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks for your reply.

[@ak9989]

Great job Stefan. I'm an American and it's hard to get an information on the Dutch east indies here. But I do collect militaria and have that dutch helmet. Plus at least 150 other ww2 and 1 helmets and hats😆. Great channel keep it up!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for you response.

[@justanapple8510]

A little late but I love the east indies series! Did you read Revolusi? Good book!

[@HistoryHustle]

I did! Used the book as a source for this video.

[@lordDenis16]

Hey Stefan, recently found your channel! I have to say you are doing the God's work with these videos on the KNIL 🙏 Are you planning to cover the Dutch failed gurrilla efforts and any attempts at building an anti-japanese resistance in Indonesia?

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching! I wanna cover this someday in the future.

[@harryscristianvieri7916]

As Indonesian, i even do not get this lecture from our history lesson. Thanks for bringing this. We are make sure that Indonesia-Dutch relationship will improve and have a good term in the future.

[@krasnamerah1926]

Kalau mau baca yang bener-bener bagus sumbernya, saya ada beberapa referensi Kaum Pergerakan Menyambut Fasisme oleh Wilson Obrigados Nasionalisme dan Revolusi Indonesia oleh George Kahin Runtuhnya Hindia Belanda oleh Ong Hok Ham

[@harryscristianvieri7916]

@@krasnamerah1926 thanks

[@krasnamerah1926]

@@harryscristianvieri7916, ma sama. Saya juga baru 'terbuka matanya' ketika masuk kuliah, waktu SMP sama SMA nggak diajarin sama sekali soal ini. Bahkan Volskraad, Dewan Rakyat di Hindia, baru masuk kurikulum Sejarah Indonesia di SMA tahun 2019 kemarin. Petisi Soetardjo saja masih belum masuk kurikulum.

[@gibraltersteamboatco888]

Very good. Bedankt. BZ Het is Zoover N.E.I.'s well-concerted war plans went into action, armed Dutch soldiers hustled German guests and hotel staff members off to concentration camps. The same thing was going on in all the 3,000-odd islands of Hein ter Poorten's domain. At the seaports, soldiers had seized every German ship, while others grabbed their officers and crews ashore and confiscated bombs (intended to blow up their ships) before there was a chance td use them.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply.

[@philbachmann6398]

Australia almost became a Dutch Colony. The history of the region may have been very different. Very relevant post Stefan, thankyou. 🙏🇦🇺

[@coling3957]

Australia would soon have become a British colony, just as Cape Colony, South Africa did when Holland sided with Napoleon..

[@rickglorie]

New Holland, there are still some very dutch names there. Arnhem land. Limmen Bay. New Zeeland. Tasmania.

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

@@rickglorieot to forget Tasmania’s earlier European name, ‘ Van Diemen’s Land ‘, officially used until the 1850s,..named by Abel Tasman in honour of the Governor of Batavia, Anthony Van Diemen. Maria Island, lying just kilometres from the east coast, was named after Van Diemen’s wife, and is both historically intriguing in itself, and is a superb place to trek around.

[@rickglorie]

@@Albert-Arthur-Wison225 thanks! I didn't knnow that. Diemen is a place name here also.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks Phil!

[@PRO-K123]

Dutch East Indies is WW2 version of Indonesia. I also proud of my country because my country was also joining WW2 but with diplomatic way sice 1942 with Japanese

[@r.a.2145]

Great video as always Stefan! Never knew that there were a significant amount of non-dutch Europeans in the KNIL! Though... Why did many non-Europeans join the KNIL in the first place? If it wasn't the case of patriotism, was it just simply money?

[@cariopuppetmaster]

Money

[@ignatiusryd2031]

The biggest thing that i always noted in Dutch defense plans against Japanese during WWII in Indonesia theatre were mainly fueled by the colonial govt fatal miscalculations largely upon everything. They did not expect Japanese would immidiately storm Dutch East Indies and fatally tought that Indonesians would happily help them resisting Japanese. It can be seen from the remnants from defense points created by KNIL in mountains around Bandung, combined it with the sheer number of low morale plagueing the KNIL ranks from Indonesian counterparts, its more than enough to deliver a catastrophic failure upon its defense plan. Had they carefully calculate the plan and able to win the hearts from Indonesians, it would be produce a very different path of history.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing your insights on this.

[@Heike--]

Why the hell would the Indonesians help? The Dutch had been killing and stealing for centuries. Why would anyone of sane mind *help* them?

[@johnm249]

I heard a story in Guadal Canal battle where 800 US Marines defeated 2500 Japanese soldiers with very few Japanese survivors. Most of the Japanese were killed by crocodiles. Eaten alive.

[@ignatiusryd2031]

@@johnm249 Uh, its not Guadalcanal...its somewhere in Burma

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

Interesting to note that the King of the Netherlands issued an apology for the country’s involvement in the slave trade ( and, presumably, the enslavement of Africans, Indians, Balinese, Madagascans, and other subjects of the VOC ) only hours ago. I wonder if he spoke only on behalf of the royal family, or, received any support from the government for this statement ?..

[@HistoryHustle]

Not sure really. He did apoligize to Indonesia in 2020.

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

@@HistoryHustle That’s interesting. I personally found it both commendable that Australia’s then-PM Kevin Rudd officially apologized to the country’s indigenous nations in February 2008 ( and every May 26 is formally recognized as ‘ National Sorry Day ‘ ), yet, the British government, under whose colonial auspices both the initial invasion, and subsequent diabolical treatment of Aboriginals reached into tremendous proportions, has refused to even contemplate such a step.

[@Franky46Boy]

There was no Royal Netherlands EAST Indies Army. The KNIL just was the Royal Netherlands Indies Army and served both in the West Indies (Suriname) and the East Indies. After the Independence of Indonesia, the KNIL in Suriname became the TRIS (Troepenmacht In Suriname).

[@HistoryHustle]

There was such an army. Soldiers in Suriname and the Antilles wore the same uniform.

[@Franky46Boy]

@@HistoryHustle Yes, but leave the name EAST please out of the translation. Because it was just KNIL en niet Koninklijk Nederlands Oost Indisch Leger KNOIL). Mijn vader was officier van het KNIL, vandaar... Mijn vader heeft tijdens de oorlog o.a. in Colditz gevangen gezeten. Misschien interessant om ooit eens een aflevering aan de 'Erewoords-kwestie' te wijden, waarin de KNIL-ers die in 1940 in Nederland waren een cruciale rol speelden.

[@HistoryHustle]

@@Franky46Boy Indisch in Dutch is named 'East Indies' internationally to avoid confusion with British Indies. That's why in English we call it as such.

[@kareldekale4987]

@@Franky46Boy Hello Franky, nice to meet you here again.

[@balancedactguy]

Nice video Stefan! Say Stefan...do you think you could do a brief video about WHY the Germans felt they needed to invade the Netherlands in WW2 when it was so obvious that Germany had a vastly superior Military and that the Netherlands would never be a threat to the Germans. I hope you can do a video about that topic! Cheers!

[@HistoryHustle]

Good topic for the future perhaps!

[@balancedactguy]

@@HistoryHustle Thank You Stefan..looking forward to it!!

[@nowthenzen]

The oft overlooked but historically important Royce Raid (or Special Mission) took place on 12 April 1942 substantially equipped with undelivered Dutch B-25 Mitchell bombers appropriated by the US for the action.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing.

[@ulrichlachman1216]

What do you knowof the TRIS, Troepenmacht In Suriname, Bauxite of Suriname during WW II, USA Airmy in Suriname? After WW II Surinames militairy in Politionale Actie, Suriname militairy in Korea War 1953? Do you know how important Suriname was for the WW II?

[@HistoryHustle]

Perhaps more on that in the future.

[@ramonsalas5250]

Please make a video about the dutch caribbean in ww2

[@HistoryHustle]

One day hopefully!

[@johnkilmartin5101]

When you said West African men served in the KNIL did you mean West Indies men? As always a great video!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks! No, these were people from Ghana I believe!

[@kareldekale4987]

The Ashanti king delivered slaves and warprisoners (about 3000) to King William I. A book is witten in Dutch: the forgotten warriors by Griselda Molemans. They were on a higher position than the local soldiers.

[@johnkilmartin5101]

@@kareldekale4987 Thank you!

[@kareldekale4987]

@@johnkilmartin5101 At your service.

[@WillmobilePlus]

I have no idea how the Dutch even held this place past the 1850s to be honest.

[@kimwit1307]

Before the dutch came the archipelago was anything but a political unity. They often ruled through local collaborating rulers and for a long time the local population had no answer to the techological and military superiority of the colonizers. Nationalism arrived later on and over time became to encompass the whole colony (with a few notable exceptions). Without the Japanese invasion the dutch would either lost the archipelago somehwere in the 1950's or 1960's I think, or would have had to find another way to maintain it, perhaps in a dominion-style arrangement. As for outside threats: dutch neutrality helped in this as it kept them out of wars that could have caused them to lose the colonies to another power (like happened with imperial germany in WW1).

[@HistoryHustle]

I did cover this here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6KrlKx3n5KAsJI&pp=ygUeaG93IGR1dGNoIGNvbnRyb2xsZWQgaW5kb25lc2lh

[@Heike--]

They ruthlessly murdered anyone who tried to stop them. They were determined to keep stealing and wouldn't let a little thing like mass human death stop them.

[@sharonrigs7999]

That Dutch helmet with the neck flaps could definitely be a Blue on Blue hazard

[@HistoryHustle]

Lol.

[@iborjack4745]

good outfit my friend! but the dutch or KNIL army are not strong enough to defence from japanese emperor, atleast if dutch army do negotiation and do not war the story it will be diffrent

[@steelydan146]

The price of empire... Dutch couldn't afford it

[@HistoryHustle]

True.

[@marcusfranconium3392]

Ah there is a wonderfull book about this topic , Navalisme nekt onderzeeboot , By Jaap anten , A whole defense doctrine of the dutch east indies from 1906 to 1942 . Quite an interesting read , also a 1000 page plus book .

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing.

[@presterconst4757]

Whenever Stefan said Motherland...in a sudden I want to sing "Het Wilhelmus"😊..btw below is link for Dutch national anthem played in Oost Indies for the last time before Japan reigned kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIe1dHlno9mHr9ksi=2zbwdFWVUb3C9ozB anyway without disregarding to some of my fellow Indonesian say about cruelty of colonialism , however I should personally give thanks to Dutch Zending mission that brought The Good News to my ancestor and real freedom in God through his Son JC.

[@kurtiseschofield]

My Dad was a manager for IBM in Uithoorn in the 1970's. His secretary was young girl in the NEI when the Japanese came. She and her family spent the war in an internment camp. She had very little nice to say about the Japanese naturally.

[@HistoryHustle]

I can imagine.

[@heryanapernata9384]

Kalijati einde van alles..

[@HistoryHustle]

Ik zou zeggen slag om de Java zee.

[@sirdarklust]

Sounds to me like the Dutch would have been better to do some "scorched Earth" and abandoned the area. If they had simply destroyed anything the Japanese could have found useful, it would have accomplished much more. They could then have boarded ships and plane at the ding dong at 2:17 and maybe gone to safety. Take it easy.

[@ignatiusryd2031]

To be fair, after crushing defeat on Battle of Java Sea, KNIL were indeed tried to do some scorched earth policy upon Dutch instalations and military equipments in Indonesia. Unfortunately since they were doing it in huge panic and big disarray within a very short time before IJA and IJN landed succesfully in Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, they failed to do it at all. Causing the frenzied Japanese troops to immidiately round up the high rank KNIL officers (especially the European KNIL) and their families to gave them a very brutal endings beyond words.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for you response.

[@ak9989]

Send me that colonial hat with the side brim up😆 it would look good in my cabinets🤪

[@HistoryHustle]

Haha, sorry, have only one.

[@rogerruby3173]

what the Dutch had done to Indonesia was very cruel my grandfather was a war veteran during the Dutch colonial era, abolishing all colonialism on this earth 😏😏

[@riasapta4109]

But, you know after independent our president did more nasty and cruel think to us during the reign of new order more than 1 million are butchered and missing

[@johnm249]

I speak 3 Dutch words and I do not even think I can spell them properly. My grandfather came to USA in 1953. My aunt I think that’s tante in Dutch? That would be my 4th Dutch word. My aunt would teach Dutch to Surinam people who came to live in Holland back in 1980s. My wife is from Brazil and I speak more Spanish and Portuguese than Dutch

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing.