Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 1936–42 (Men-at-Arms) - Softcover

Lohnstein, Marc

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1472833759 ISBN 13: 9781472833754

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2018

Synopsis

Until 1945, Indonesia was a Dutch colony known as the Netherlands East Indies. In 1930, the area had over 60 million inhabitants and was a major exporter of oil, rubber, tin and quinine. It was a particularly strong trading partner for Japan, providing some 13 percent of Japan's oil needs--second only after the United States. Following Germany's occupation of the Netherlands in May 1940, Japan decided to expand its influence in the Netherlands East Indies via diplomatic negotiations to acquire the necessary strategic goods of oil, rubber and tin. However, the negotiations did not provide Japan with the access it had hoped to gain.

Up until the mid-1930s the colonial authorities considered the probability of military conflict between the major powers in Asia to be very low and that any military presence in the colony was primarily aimed at enforcing Dutch rule. This task was mainly the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). This force, designed primarily for colonial policing, underwent a series of cutbacks in the interwar years before the aggressive posture of Japan made this position increasingly unrealistic. The Japanese threat became acute with the seizure of the southern Chinese island of Hainan in February 1939 and the occupation of French Indochina by Japanese troops. Northern Indochina was occupied in September 1940 and Southern Indochina in July 1941. Japan thereby acquired bases from which the Netherlands East Indies was within reach of its naval and air forces.

The East Indies Army had developed a modernization program with a time span of four to five years. This 1936 reinforcement plan focused on building up a strike air force, introducing tanks, and increasing the firepower of the infantry and artillery and this was put to the test at the end of 1941 with the declaration of hostilities.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. M.J. Lohnstein is the assistant curator of the Netherlands' colonial museum at Bronbeek.

Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, several 19th-century American subjects, the modern Chinese Army, and a number of books in the Fortress series. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world.

Review

"Very little information about the KNIL just prior to, and during WWII has found its way into English language publications. However, this volume by Dutch author and historian Marc Lohnstein has tapped numerous Dutch language sources, including the vast resources of the Museum Bronbeek, to present the first concise record in English of the KNIL as it fought against the initial Japanese onslaught in the Far East. It provides a much needed resource to describe one of the often neglected Allied combatants of the opening phase of the Pacific War." - IPMS / USA

Edition details

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1472833759
• ISBN 13: 9781472833754
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Hook Adam