User:Mhatopzz/History of the Dutch East Indies (1945–1949)

This article covers the history of the Dutch East Indies from the surrender of the Empire of Japan in 1945 to the collapse of the Dutch Empire in Southeast Asia itself following the transfer of sovereignty to form the United States of Indonesia on 27 December 1949 as a result of the outbreak of war in Indonesia. On 9 March 1948, Acting Governor-General Hubertus van Mook established a Provisional Federal Government in the Dutch East Indies, which was essentially the same as the colonial government, with substantial powers remaining in the hands of the Dutch.

Following the defeat of the Japanese Empire, colonial empires like the Dutch Empire sought to regain control in their former territories in Southeast Asia, fearing there would be a power vacuum, the Netherlands began to retook their territories in the Dutch East Indies after 3.5 years of exile during the Japanese occupation. After the victory at the western new guinea in 1945, the Dutch alongside the Allied forces began to retake Borneo, the Island of Tarakan was successfully retaken and Balikpapan in 1945.

Both the Dutch and NICA had already occupied several islands in Indonesia from 1945, but they had to face challenges with the Indonesian nationalists and militia in the occupied areas. In 1946, to counter the influence of the Republican government in Java and Sumatra, the Dutch government set up several puppet states across the region in the eastern part of Indonesia, the aim was to create a federal government under the Dutch Monarchy and to prevent the end of the Dutch rule in Indonesia. From 16–25 July 1946, the Dutch government set up a conference held in the town of Malino to discuss the future situations of the citizens in the Great East, and as part of their attempt to arrange a federal solution for Indonesia. As a result of the Malino conference, the Dutch government set up another conference in Denpasar from 7–24 December 1946 and resulting in the formation of the State of East Indonesia, a dutch puppet state which would be a component of the United States of Indonesia in 1949.

From 1947 to 1948 the Dutch forces launched two major offensives known as politionele acties or police actions. The first offensive took place from 21 July until 5 August 1947 on the Islands of Java, Sumatra, and Madura, capturing the islands from the Indonesian government, the offensive sparked an international debate as the United Nations began to observe and mediate both parties and resulted in the signing of the Renville Agreement. The second offensive took place from 19 December 1948 until 5 January 1949, resulting in the arrest of the Indonesian leadership, and an eventual lead of the Indonesian government to run as an underground movement.

The Dutch East Indies ceased to exist on 27 December 1949 as the Netherlands ceded its territories in Asia to Indonesia following its recognition of independence and sovereignty in the Round Table Conference held in late 1949. Although the Dutch East Indies had dissolved in 1949, the Dutch government retained its control in Western New Guinea until 1962 when the UN was placed as a transitional government in the region, as part of the dispute between Indonesia and The Netherlands.