Dutch strategic policy in southeast Asia reconsidered, 1916-1933

The subject of Dutch strategy in the Netherlands East-Indies from 1916-1933 has been studied by Dutch historians in the separate spheres of colonial, foreign, and defence policies, but the role of the Navy in strategic debate has been ignored. It has been characterized as a special interest group concerned with its own interests. The subject of Dutch strategic policy has been largely ignored by English language scholars, who treat the Dutch East-Indies as an object, rather than a subject and relegate it to a footnote of history. This thesis examines attempts by the Royal Dutch Navy and the Dutch Naval Staff to convince politicians that traditional nineteenth-century strategic policy had to change, that it must fundamentally rebuild its military power and make the Netherlands East-Indies (NEI) a strong regional power--or else remain isolated and powerless. Primary documents, discovered during research at the Algemeen Rijksarchief in the Hague, illustrate that the Navy campaigned unsuccessfully to change these liberal policies. The primary material also clearly illustrates that the Navy had studied the dilemma of being a small power in an area that was growing in importance in geo-strategic terms and had proposed changes, that if adopted, might have made the NEI a regional power in Asia. The Navy, however, tried to change the nature of the Dutch state and its policies in an era of great optimism and faith in international law, disarmament, and financial constraints and it was met with great resistance. Dutch politicians and citizens were unwilling to contemplate the militarization of the state to become a regional power.