Indonesia

Originally published in 1950 and authored by the war-time Prime Minister of the Netherlands this provocative book, a product of the time in which it was published, is a controversial defence of colonial rule. It reflects Dutch resistance to the claim for independence, which was in vain but nevertheless fierce.

Decolonisation changed not only the colony but also the metropolis – the mother country – from a multinational to a national state. The end of Dutch rule shortly before the middle of the twentieth century heralded the loss of a faraway colony that was considered indispensable to the metropole for economic growth and prosperity. Originally published in 1950 and authored by the war-time Prime Minister of the Netherlands this provocative book, a product of the time in which it was published, is a controversial defence of colonial rule. It reflects Dutch resistance to the claim for independence, which was in vain but nevertheless fierce and is a highly partisan historical account of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies. The book criticizes both Indonesian nationalists and the British military for the region's post-war turmoil.