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=== The Blooding ===
AWith newthe phaseintroduction hadof startedthe innew thecombat wardoctrine, ait phaseturned that is considered and was quite franklyinto the most brutal and deadliest phase in the warconflict. AIt started with a general offensive was initiated on the various islands by the EILF. This was constantly countered by the Dutch by numerous counter-offensives and counterattackslarge-scale air operations. TheEventually, this resulted in near constant fighting between the EILF and the Dutch fighting that was rapid and, unforgiving, withbloody bothand sidesruthless givingwith itneither theirside allbacking down. It was 3 weeksonly after the5 startweeks of thenearly offensiveconstant fighting that the Dutch managedwere able to stabilizepush andthe evenEILF back, recapture the frontlines.ground Itlost wasand in this small period of reprieve thatstabilise the Dutchfrontlines. realized what had transpired.
They had been on the receiving end of not just an uprising on easternEastern Java, other areas like Sumatra and the otherMalayan islandspeninsula had now moved tofrom an unconventional conflict towards a conventional conflict. This transition was first noted during the 5 weeks of fighting, butyet due to the sheer chaos, itthese wasaspects were not always properly reported. TheNow varioustho outpostsit andwas holdingsclear onthat Sumatraduring werethe attackedcounter-offensive byvarious EILFunits encountered armoured units. Inthat the Malayanwere peninsulastandardised, Borneo,forcing andthe Celebssoldiers wereto attackedmove bytowards artillery and othera more conventionalhybrid units combined with theform standardof tacticswarfare.
TheWith entirethe warintroduction hadof nowthis changedhybrid andform itof seemedwarfare, thatthe toentire war for the Dutch,Netherlands anywas now different. Any pretence about this being aan internal police action was now gone, in the propaganda as well as how it reported on it, it was a proper war. For while on athe theatre scalelevel these armoured assaults could be dealt with, it was the sheer number of themarmoured thatunits forcedand athe change. For it was nowinfantry thatmeant the Dutch were outnumbered 7 to 1. ItThis was then thatcaused a shift in the mindset of not just the soldierscommanders occurredbut andalso the doctrinesoldiers reflectedon itthe ground. NoThis longerbegan wouldto theybe sparereflected anyonein the operational doctrine, no longer would they showspare mercyanyone, itno seemedlonger nowwould allthey theask restraintsfirst wereshoot gone.second, Thisand wasno alsolonger awould periodthey thatshow Dutchany armouredrestraint. forcesThe wouldnew moveoperational intodoctrine Sumatrawas andsimple, conventionalkill tankthe battlesenemy in Southeastbefore Asia became athey commonkill thingyou.
It was also during this period that armoured clashes in the thick jungles of Sumatra became a common future and the Dutch were able to openly practice combined arms warfare again, something they were extremely well adapted to considering they created many of the modern concepts. This tho left much of the jungles of Sumatra the grave of Soenda soldiers and much of the jungle destroyed.
It was not known at the time but these would be the final campaigns of the long war, these campaigns were more brutal than any before. The new threats of EILF conventional forces, combined with irregular forces and being outnumbered forced the Dutch to become more ruthless. Battles in Malaya, and Sumatra would see the introduction of a new concept, Forced penetration. This was a simple push where dutch forces entered in full force in an area, capture it, destroy any and all things that could be used by the EILF and retreated. This saw a massive spike in EILF casualties as the Dutch were now simply there to eliminate EILF no matter what. It eventually created a kill ratio that for every Dutch soldier that was killed 15 EILF were killed as well. This had the effect that for each EILF soldier that was killed 3 more would in theory take its place. ▼
▲ItWhile it was not known at the time butthat these years, would be the final campaignsyears of the long war ,. theseThese campaignsyears tho were more brutal than any year before them. Thethe new threats ofposed EILFby conventionalthe forcesEILF, combined with irregularthe forceshybrid andwarfare, being outnumbered forced the Dutch to become more ruthless. Battles in Malaya, Sumatra, Malaysia, Borneo and SumatraCelebs would see the introductionDutch ofsoldiers afight newharder concept,and Forcedharder penetrationand show less mercy. This wascombined awith simplethe pushconcept whereof dutchforced forcespenetration entered inwhere fullthey forcemoved in anhard area,shoot captureup it,everything destroyin anyheavily andpopulated allareas thingsand thatmove could be used by the EILF and retreatedout. This sawcreated a massive spike in EILF casualties as the Dutch were now simply there to eliminatea EILFpoint nowhere matterthe what.norm Itin eventually1972 created a kill ratiowas that for every Dutch soldier that was killed 15 EILFSoenda soldiers were killed , asthis well. Thishowever had the effect that for eachevery EILF soldier that was killedhad 3 morereplacements wouldwaiting in theoryto take itstheir place.
Throughout 1972 and early 1973 fighting was fierce and a pattern started to emerge per theatre. In Malaya, the fighting was considered conventional and in the field, the Dutch had a relatively great deal of success at first. Only to be pushed back to their lines due to insurgent activities. On Celebes, the war was a full-on counter insurgency with air assault by the Dutch being the name of the game. It was there that the Dutch fought hard and achieved their objectives of eradicating the EILF. Sumatra was the place where the fighting was most intense, with conventional irregular warfare being all mixed up. It was the norm there that the Dutch fought a stalemate and only won due to air superiority. ▼
▲ThroughoutFrom 1972 andup until early 1973 fighting was fierce andwith a pattern startedemerging tothat emergewas different per theatre. In Malaya , the fighting was considered conventionalto andbe inon the fieldmore conventional side, the Dutch relatively had a relatively great deal of success at first. Only to be pushed back to their lines due to the insurgent activities when they breached the jungles. On Celebes,Celebs the war was a full-on counter -insurgency with air assault byand the Dutchbombing being the namemode of theoperations game.preferred It was there thatby the Dutch , foughtresulting hardin andtens achievedof their objectivesthousands of eradicatingdeaths theand EILF.countless Sumatra was the place where the fighting was most intense, with conventional irregular warfarebiomes being all mixed up. It was the norm there that the Dutch fought a stalemate and only won due to air superioritydestroyed.
This large-scale intensity in fighting strained Dutch manpower supplies, they began to rotate in veterans from the first phases and more conscripts were pushed into service. It had become a total war with the Dutch government and the people on some level not giving in and thus all civility was dropped.
Sumatra was the place the fighting was in the form of the new hybrid warfare, it was the most intense with it being pure chaos. It was the norm there that the Dutch fought the Soenda army to a standstill and pushed them back, only to be killed in the thick interiors, resulting in the Dutch burning down almost all of the thick interior jungle of Sumatra due to their air superiority.
Despite the large number of casualties inflicted upon the EILF, nothing seemed to stop them. Dutch soldiers were fighting for months without any rest, fighting day and night all of this in brutality unseen. Exhaustion, depression and an increase in drug use went throughout the rear units. While the EILF got more Russian support, combined with international condemnation of the Netherlands, all of this was the final drop in the bucket. Eventually, after nearly 13 years of total war, a truly massive anti-war protest took place in Amsterdam. ▼
The scale of fighting did create a strain on the Dutch manpower supply, with ships coming each month packed with replacements. It had become a norm at this point that most soldiers fighting were doing their second or third tour. It had thus become a total war for the Dutch, it had resulted in Dutch society having dehumanized the Soenda rebels and all pretence of civility was dropped.
The 18th of April 1974 saw the largest anti-war protest the Netherlands would ever see. This was a protest not carried out by the regular protestors. These protests were large with roughly 3.4 million people protesting, veterans of the war that now would see their own sons die in a war they fought in, mothers fathers, wives, and friends of those send over to fight. People had enough of the conflict they were exhausted, nearly 11 years of war abroad seeing it day in and day out on the television had chanced the Dutch nation as a whole. These protests were so large that it for one day shut down the nation, the police were not willing to do anything and it was a time of chaos.
==== A change at home ====
Prime minister Geert Dijkman even ordered his cabinet and the military at home to prepare for a revolution. However, his army generals said loud and clear that they would not fire on their own people. These protests and strikes known as the silent revolution of april would eventually within the same month see a vote of no confidence pass the chamber. A new election was declared to be needed and was scheduled for the 17th of Juli 1974. ▼▲DespiteFor despite the largeconstant numbertalks ofabout the massive casualties that were inflicted upon the EILFenemy, nothing seemed to stop them. Dutch soldiers were fighting for months without any rest, fighting day and night all of this in brutality that was unseen. Exhaustion, depression and an increaseincreasing inamount of alcohol and drug use went throughoutamong the rearsoldiers units.coming Whileback, thewith EILFboys gotbeing morebroken Russianwhen support,coming combinedhome withled internationalto condemnationa ofstrong theanti-war Netherlands,sentiment. allAll of this wascombined with the finalcondemnation dropthe inNetherlands got on the bucket.international Eventuallystage, afterled nearlyto the bucket overflowing. After 13 years of total war, a truly massive anti-war protest took place in Amsterdam .
On the 18th of April 1974, the Netherlands saw its largest anti-war protest to date. It was not just the regular protests, the students the pacifist and the like that came. They were joined by the roughly 3.4 veterans of this war, all who were relatively young, joined by their fathers who often themselves either fought in the east or were veterans from the great war, joined by their mothers, wives, girlfriends, friends and all those loved once’s of those that were fighting. People no longer wanted to see their sons, brothers and friends die in the far east. People at this point simply had enough of war after 13 years of seeing the war on their TVs had fundamentally changed the Dutch nation.
Despite the best efforts of Prime Minister Geert Dijkman and his “Conservatieve anti revolutionare partij” or CARP, they stood no chance. They where soundly defeated by the “Partij voor democratie” or PVD led by former veteran turned politician Koen Haverman who on the 25th of Juli 1974 became the new prime minister of the Netherlands. Out of the 150 seats in the second chamber, the PVD won a total of 83, thus needing no coalition and pushing their agenda forward. Their agenda was a simple one on paper pull out of the archipelago, yet in reality, this would be a hard one and prove to be a complicated affair.[[File:Koen Haverman 3.jpg|alt=Barend Biesheuvel is used as a stand in for the PM|thumb|Koen Haverman the new prime minister of the Netherlands meeting with the monarch]] ▼
[[File:Protest I.jpg|thumb|A large group of Dutch citizen in Den Haag protesting the war, they where just one many. As the picture shows people from all ages joined in the protests.]]
These protests were so large that for the entire day the nation was shut down, public transport was jammed, and cities had turned into ghost towns. All the while in the Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam the police forces were unwilling to do anything against their own friends in many cases they even joined the protestors. In other words, the government was in chaos.
▲PrimeThey were so large that prime minister Geert Dijkman even ordered his cabinet and the military at home to prepare for a revolution . However,he hisso armyfeared. generalsIt saidwas loudat andthis clearmoment tho that the military general staff made clear they would not fire onupon their own peoplemen, for these protestors were often wearing their uniforms. These protests andhad strikestheir knownintended aseffect theeventually and caused a silent revolution of april would eventuallyApril, within the same month see a vote of no confidence passpassed the second chamber . Aand a new election was declared to be needed and was scheduled for the 17th of Julijuli 1974 .
▲Despite thetheir best efforts ofthe Primeparty Ministerof Geertthe Dijkmanold andprime minister hisde “Conservatieve anti revolutionare partij”partij or CARP, they stood no chancechange. They wherewere soundly defeated by the “PartijPartij voor democratie”Democracy or PVD“PVD” led by former veteran turned politician Koen Haverman who on the 25th of JuliJuly 1974 becamebecome the new prime minister of the Netherlands. Out of the 150 seats in the second chamber, the PVD won a total of 83 , thusensuring needingthat no coalition was needed and pushingallowing them to push their agenda forward. Their agenda was a simple one on paper , pull out of the archipelago, yet in reality, tho this would be a hard one and prove to be a complicated affairachieve.[[File:Koen Haverman 3.jpg|alt=Barend Biesheuvel is used as a stand in for the PM|thumb|Koen Haverman the new prime minister of the Netherlands meeting with the monarch]]
=== '''New Minister, New Policy''' ===
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