In 1836, the Netherlands was a defeated nation. Only 6 years ago, the prosperous and industrializing Catholic south had broke away, forming the Kingdom of Belgium. The protection afforded to Belgium by the British had stopped any chance of a war of reclamation, and thus the Dutch government, headed by King William I, had turned their attention elsewhere. After the American Revolution and the defeat of Spanish forces in the Americas, most European powers had given up trying to extend their influence in the Americas like they had done in centuries past. Instead, the colonial empires had turned their eyes to two continents relatively untapped in potential - Africa and Asia.
While the colonial powers had vied for influence in America, Africa and Asia had largely been ignored, with the noticeable exception of India, which was under the control of the British East India Company. Other such companies, such as the Dutch East India Company (VOC), were the norm for European influence in Asia. These were private companies which participated in vast commercial trade, mostly the trading of Asian luxury goods to Europe. The aforementioned VOC was one of the most successful of these trading companies, and specialized in the extremely lucrative spice trade. In the early 17th century, it was the wealthiest company in the world. The VOC and British East India Company were at odds over trade in Asia, and this conflict was one of the major causes of the four Anglo-Dutch wars in the 17th and 18th century, aside from the general competition for naval supremacy between the two powers. Aside from trading, the VOC also dealt in shipbuilding and the growing and cultivating of spices, wine, and sugar cane.
However, all things come to an end, and in the 18th century, the VOC saw a gradual decline as the Netherlands itself declined in status. A series of financial mismanagement and changes in the political and economic situation in Asia caused this decline. In 1796, it was nationalized by the Batavian Republic, before being wholly dissolved in 1799. The colonies it had administered were given to the Dutch government.
During the Napoleonic Wars, British forces occupied the Dutch East Indies, which were controlled by the French puppet state of Holland. However, in 1816, the East Indies were restored to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1824, the Anglo-Dutch treaty demarcated the British and Dutch territories in the East Indies, clarifying issues arising from the treaty of 1814 which had handed over former Dutch territories before the Napoleonic Wars to the UKN. The Cultivation System was established in 1830 after a rebellion in Java. This was a policy stating that villages either had to have 20% of their land devoted to growing government crops for exportation or had to have its inhabitants work in government-owned plantations for 60 days a year. This greatly increased the agricultural output of the East Indies, and made the Dutch rulers exceedingly wealthy through exporting cash crops.
The political situation in the East Indies in 1836
In 1836, the Dutch administration of the East Indies called for the expansion of the KNIL, or the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. This expansion’s immediate purpose was to help finish the Padri War, which had been raging on since 1821. It regarded the Dutch intervention in a civil conflict between Muslim clerics and traditional chiefs and rulers in Minangkabau in Western Sumatra. Long term, the expansion of the KNIL served to tighten and expand Dutch control over the region. 24000 new soldiers were recruited and trained. The garrison forces of Borneo and Palembang were also sent into Minangkabau.
On Janurary 21, 1836, the 3000-strong Borneo Garrison in Sibolga was ambushed by Padri forces. Although the sheer outnumbering of the Garrison initially brought defeat to the Dutch side, the Garrison took up positions in the local mountains, where they successfully held their positions until help from the Palembang Garrison could arrive. Thus, on Feburary 6, 1836, the Battle of Sibolga was won by Dutch forces, with minimal casualties for the Dutch. On Feburary 21 1836, the Sultanate of Siak offered military assistance in the Padri War, and the two armies destroyed the remaining Padri forces at Medan, although Siak took great casualties. After a string of Dutch victories, the Padris surrendered on July 5, offering up the provinces of Padang and Gunungistoli.
At the same time, the Amsterdam government still plotted on how to retake Belgium into the fold. Envoys to France and Prussia were sent, to negotiate the terms of a military alliance. Both nations accepted the Dutch offer of alliance, and Prussia and the Netherlands signed the secret Arnheim Accords, which obligated Prussia to assist the Netherlands if it was at war with Britain. The Dutch Army was also expanded, with 6000 new men.
On July 26, William I dismissed the conservative minister Aldert van Ranzow, replacing him with Arnold Adolf Bentinck van Nijenhuis, a staunch supporter of state capitalism. Bentinck, born in 1798, was born to an old noble family in the Netherlands and Britain. During the Napoleonic Wars, he and other members of his family had been sent to England to live with their British cousins. There, Bentinck was educated on matters of diplomacy, statesmanship, and economics. After the formation of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Bentinck returned to his homeland and quickly gained the approval of the King, who appointed him as a diplomat. After Bentinck’s success in negotiating alliances with France and Prussia, he was rewarded with the position of Economic Minister, as well as Foreign Minister. With these positions, he gained great influence in the Dutch court.
After the Padri War, the Dutch administration in the East Indies began debating whether they should tighten control in the region and begin seizing more land from the local sultanates as colonial concessions. Dominique Jacques de Eerens, Governor-General of the East Indies, was for this motion, and, in January 3, 1837, he sent an ultimatum to the Sultanate of Kutai, demanding their submission to the Dutch East Indies. When Kutai refused, war was declared.
Dominique Jacques de Eerens was born to a wealthy landowning family in the East Indies, where he grew up. From a young age, he demonstrated great intelligence and confidence, making him the family’s chosen heir. He was educated at the Batavia University, and became a prominent politician in his 30s. He was a staunch conservative, and believed in the absolute monarchy, and this loyalty to the monarchy, aside from his skills, earned him the rank of Governor-General.
The Second Army of the KNIL landed in Dutch Borneo, and promptly launched an offensive into the capital Samarinda, where the Dutch forces destroyed the Kutai army. In mid-April, the rest of the KNIL arrived in Borneo, assisting in the Siege of Samarinda. Standing no chance, Kutai surrendered on March 10, 1838. Immediately after the war with Kutai, Eerens’ government declared war on Kalimantan to take control of Southern Borneo. This time, two other sultanates, the Bone Sultanate and Sulu, joined the fray as Kalimantan’s allies. Newly recruited soldiers from Java were sent to Sulawesi to deal with the Bone Sultanate and assist the Sulawesi Garrison. The local militaries were no match for the KNIL, and the war ended on July 11. Soon after this, the Netherlands were recognized as one of the Great Powers.
On the mainland, pressure from prominent liberals forced the Dutch government to reform. One Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, another influential politician within the Dutch court, drafted a new constitution for the Netherlands which greatly limited the King’s power and granted it to the States General. The first election was held on January 1 1840, but only landowners could vote. The Conservatives won a majority in the States General and became the ruling party.
On Feburary 12 1840, the Dutch government declared war on Belgium, citing the reclamation of rightful Dutch territory, and launched what is now called the 60 Days’ Offensive. Although initially successful at the Battles of Middelburg and Eindhoven, where the Belgian army was largely destroyed, France and Prussia intervened, causing the Dutch government to sue for peace on April 16. As a result of this humiliation, the Netherlands declined in prestige, and they began to fall out of being considered a Great Power. Increased liberal agitation after this saw the government implement a voting reform, allowing middle-class citizens to vote, but weighting the ballots to rich landowners. Many liberals were disenchanted with the slow and gradual reforms of the government, and criticized the government for being weak, autocratic, and ineffectual. More liberal protests and campaigns hit the Netherlands in early 1841, so much so that many leading conservatives and reactionaries, fearing a situation similar to the Reign of Terror, signed the Anti-Jacobin Tract, which unified conservative and reactionary politicians against liberals. However, this only served to intensify the tension between liberals and conservatives. The Chartist Society, founded in April 18 1840, dramatically increased in numbers throughout 1842 and 1843. This was a society wholly created to advocate voting reform and more liberal voting systems. The Society cooperated with the Liberal Party, which promised voting reform and more democracy.
