(Old page) East Indies Crisis - do not edit: Difference between revisions
From Roses, Tulips, & Liberty
(Old page) East Indies Crisis - do not edit (view source)
Revision as of 11:59, 11 June 2022
, 2 years ago→The Bloodying
Dutch-ODST (talk | contribs) |
Dutch-ODST (talk | contribs) |
||
Line 100:
At the end of what was called the Java uprising which officially according to Dutch history ended on the 28th of March 1972, some 11,000 Dutch civilians had died, 5400 soldiers were KIA, 617 were MIA, and 19,182 were wounded. While on the EILF side the numbers sometimes disputed were far higher. According to captured documents of the EILF a total of 43,019 men died in the first 3 days, while in the last 15 days a total of 111,179 casualties (71,192 killed and 39,987 wounded). It is said to be some of the most brutal fighting and highest casualty rates of the war and it would set the tone for the remainder of the conflict. In regards to civilian casualties caused by the Dutch counteroffensive to this day, it is disputed, however, all agree that the numbers reach into the
=== The
A new phase had started in the war, a phase that is considered and was quite frankly the most brutal phase in the war. A general offensive was initiated on the islands by the EILF. This was constantly countered by Dutch counter-offensives and counterattacks. The constant fighting between the EILF and the Dutch was rapid and unforgiving, with both sides giving it their all. It was 3 weeks after the start of the offensive that the Dutch managed to stabilize and even recapture the frontlines. It was in this small period of reprieve that the Dutch realized what had transpired.
They had been on the receiving end of not just an uprising on eastern Java, the other islands had now moved to a conventional conflict. This was noted during the fighting but due to the sheer chaos, it was not always reported. The various outposts and holdings on Sumatra were attacked by EILF armoured units. In the Malayan peninsula, Borneo, and Celebs were attacked by artillery and other more conventional units combined with the standard tactics.
The entire war had now changed and it seemed that to the Dutch, any pretence about this being a police action was now gone. For while on a theatre scale these armoured assaults could be dealt with, it was the sheer number of them that forced a change. For it was now that the Dutch were outnumbered 7 to 1. It was then that a shift in the mindset of the soldiers occurred and the doctrine reflected it. No longer would they spare anyone no longer would they show mercy it seemed now all the restraints were gone. This was also a period that Dutch armoured forces would move into Sumatra and conventional tank battles in Southeast Asia became a common thing.
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.
Despite the massive amount of enemy forces killed nothing seemed to stop the EILF their onslaught. Dutch soldiers were fighting for months on end seeing no rest and fighting day and night, all of this the brutality the exhaustion the hopelessness combined with the increase in Russian support, international condemnation, and the fact that it was all televised finally chanced the mood in the war. On the 18th of April 1974, the largest anti-war protest the Netherlands would ever see took place. This was a protest not carried out by the regular people that would protest. 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, 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 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. 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. ▼
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.
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. ▼
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.
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.
▲
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.
▲Despite the best efforts of
=== '''New Minister, New Policy''' ===
| |||
