Aceh war
The Aceh War ( 1873-1904 ) was an armed conflict between the Netherlands and the Muslim Sultanate of Aceh in northern Sumatra that led to the Netherlands' conquest of the Achinese and ultimately Dutch rule over the entire region.
In 1871 the Netherlands and Great Britain had signed a treaty recognizing Dutch influence in northern Sumatra, in return the Netherlands recognized Britain's right to trade on an equal footing in the East Indies . Two years later, the Dutch sent two expeditions to Aceh to conquer the area. After the Chinese sultan died while conquering the palace , the Dutch suspended military operations and signed a treaty with the new sultan, who recognized Dutch sovereignty over the area. However, he could not control his subjects, so that the Dutch troops were embroiled in a lengthy guerrilla war in the countryside. The war exhausted the colonial treasury and public opinion in the Netherlands became increasingly skeptical of the colonial administration.
The administration later realized that their ignorance of the region led to serious mistakes. Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje , Professor of Islamic Studies at Leiden University , was asked to conduct a thorough study of Aceh and published a book on the Achinese in 1893/94. A "castle strategy" was then introduced, which provided fortified bases for the Dutch troops. Under the leadership of JB van Heutsz , who was appointed military and civil governor of Aceh in 1899 , the kingdom was quickly subdued. In 1904 the conquest of the entire region by van Heutsz was completed.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Acehnese War. In: Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved December 6, 2019 .