THE DUTCH POLITICAL CONFLICT WITH THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, 1945-1949

PART 1: DOCUMENTS FROM THE SECRET ARCHIVES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE NETHERLANDS INDIES GOVERNMENT AND THE CABINET OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL

National Archives of the Netherlands, The Hague

on microfiche

Captured Republican pamphlet from Part 1: “Beware, the
Dutch are asking for land!—to colonize”

Introduction

The end of the Second World War in August 1945 sounded the death knell of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. The proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia by Sukarno and Hatta  on 17 August 1945 ushered in a confusing and complicated period of anticolonial struggle, civil war, military action by the Dutch and negotiations between the parties that ultimately led to the transfer of sovereignty to the Republic on 27 December 1949.

Mohammed Hatta

New series

This collection forms the first part in a new series of micro-publications on the end of Dutch colonialism in Asia being planned and carried out in cooperation with the National Archives in The Hague. It can be regarded as the continuation of the now dormant series "War and Decolonization" by MMF Publications, with which it does not overlap. The five parts of that series are also available from Moran Micropublications.

Focus

The new series has as theme "the Dutch political conflict with the Republic of Indonesia" not only in the pivotal years 1945-1949, but also extending into the early 1960s in order to cover the process of decolonization of Netherlands New Guinea, over which the Dutch had refused to transfer sovereignty at the end of 1949. It will also reach back into the 1930s and the years of war and occupation (1942-1945) to provide the necessary background to the crisis that ensued on 17 August 1945.

Part 1: Secret Archive

In consultation with archivists at the National Archives the first documents chosen for micropublication are from the Secret Archive of the General Secretariat of the Netherlands Indies Government and the Cabinet of the Governor-General (in Dutch: Geheim archief van de Algemene Secretarie en van het kabinet van de gouverneur-generaal).

The General Secretariat

The General Secretariat was the administrative apparatus that assisted the Governor-general in his task from 1816 until its dissolution in 1950. Its archives, formed in Indonesia, contain a virtually complete account of the

political activities and statecraft of the Netherlands Indies Government. The secret archives of the Algemene Secretarie were brought to the Netherlands after Indonesian independence and are now in the National Archives. The public part of its archive was transferred to the Republic of Indonesia and is housed in the Arsip Nasional in Jakarta.

Documents

The documents reproduced in the present collection concern the "Political conflict with the Republic of Indonesia" from the end of the Second World War until the transfer of sovereignty at the end of 1949. They trace the development of events in great detail and allow the study of this conflict in all its aspects. The documents include many secret intelligence reports, captured Republican papers, political memoranda and many others.

Inventory

The collection has been completely inventoried by archivists of the National Archives and is now available from Moran Micropublications. The inventory is available for consultation free of charge from Moran and is also posted on our website (see right column).

Contents of the archive

1. Parties and groups involved in the conflict

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

General

Leaders and key figures

Administrative affairs

Economic affairs

• General
• Finance and currency
• Foreign trade of the republic
• Contraband
• Republican aviation

Foreign relations of the Republic

• General
• Individual countries

Republican press and propaganda

Military affairs

• Organization of the army
• Personnel
• Materiel
• Military actions and operations

Political organizations and militant groups

• General
• Java
• Sumatra
• Outer Islands (Grote Oost)

COMMUNIST MOVEMENTS

ISLAMIC AND ARABIC GROUPS

THE CHINESE POPULATION

THE INDO-EUROPEAN POPULATION

OTHERS

2. Development of the conflict up to the First Police Action

TRUCE NEGOTIATIONS

THE LINGGARDJATI AGREEMENT

TRUCE VIOLATIONS

3. Development of the conflict up to the Second Police Action

FIRST POLICE ACTION

CONSULAR COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE OF GOOD OFFICES

RENVILLE TRUCE AGREEMENT

EXECUTION OF THE AGREEMENT

TRUCE VIOLATIONS

4. Development of the conflict up to the Transfer of Sovereignty

SECOND POLICE ACTION

UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION FOR INDONESIA

VAN ROIJEN-RUM AGREEMENT AND PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS

CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT WITH THE REPUBLIC

RETURN OF THE REPUBLIC

EVACUATION OF TERRITORIES

ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE

• General
• Delegations
• Discussions and reports

TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY