The Dutch Strategic and Operational Approach in the Indonesian War of Independence, 1945-1949

The Indonesian War of Independence (1945–1949) and the Dutch attempt to combat the insurgency campaign by the Indonesian nationalists provides an excellent case study of how not to conduct a counter-insurgency war. In this article, it is reasoned that the Dutch security strategic objective – a smokescreen of autonomy while keeping hold of political power – was unrealistic. Their military strategic approach was very deficient. They approached the war with a conventional war mind-set, thinking that if they could merely reoccupy the whole archipelago and take the nationalist leaders prisoner, tha... Mehr ...