What happened to Indonesia after the Dutch left?

The US favoured Sukarno and Indonesian Independence in the hope of keeping independent Indonesia out of the hands of the Communists. As a result of US pressure on the Dutch, sovereignty was transferred to the nationalist government of Indonesia in 1949 with the exclusion of the Dutch part of New Guinea.

What did the Dutch change in Indonesia?

Following Indonesian independence, the Dutch legal system was adopted and gradually a national legal system based on Indonesian precepts of law and justice was established. By 1920 the Dutch had established 350 prisons throughout the colony.

Did the Dutch exploit Indonesia?

Secondly, the whole area we now know as Indonesia was not conquered by the Dutch around the same time and then possessed for 3.5 centuries. On the contrary, it took centuries of gradual political expansion before the region was under Dutch control (and in several parts Dutch control was very superficial, such as Aceh).

What are the East Indies called today?

The most restrictive and best-known use is as a synonym for the islands that now constitute the Republic of Indonesia (formerly known as the Netherlands Indies, or Dutch East Indies); these include the Greater Sunda Islands (Borneo, Celebes, Java, and Sumatra), the Lesser Sunda Islands (stretching eastward from Bali to …

When did the Dutch East Indies become part of Indonesia?

Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands formally recognized Indonesian sovereignty at the 1949 Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference with the exception of the Netherlands New Guinea ( Western New Guinea ), which was ceded to Indonesia 14 years later in 1963 under the provisions of the New York Agreement .

What was the economic impact of the Dutch East Indies?

Economic history. The Dutch East Indies produced most of the world’s supply of quinine and pepper, over a third of its rubber, a quarter of its coconut products, and a fifth of its tea, sugar, coffee, and oil. The profit from the Dutch East Indies made the Netherlands one of the world’s most significant colonial powers.

Why did the Indonesians need outside help to eliminate the colonial system?

The Indonesians, on the other hand, did not have the power to combat the colonial rulers and therefore needed outside help to eliminate the colonial system. In March 1942 the Japanese, fueled by their desire for oil, provided such help by occupying the Dutch Indies.

What was the colonial social order in the Dutch East Indies?

The Dutch East Indies was one of the most valuable colonies under European rule, and contributed to Dutch global prominence in spice and cash crop trade in the 19th to early 20th century. The colonial social order was based on rigid racial and social structures with a Dutch elite living separate from but linked to their native subjects.