Military clerics firmly believed that the War of Independence in Indonesia (1945-1949) was a battle between good and evil, in which the Dutch army fought under divine protection.
They therefore continued to defend Dutch military action even though they witnessed extreme violence, burning kampongs, torture and executions, research by historian Koos-jan de Jager shows.
Letters and diaries
Much has been published in recent years about the structural extreme violence of the Dutch armed forces. De Jagers adds a new, religious, dimension by focusing on the role of the churches and clergy who assisted Dutch soldiers at the front.
De Jager: ‘The research was primarily based on new archival research: reports, letters and diaries of military clergy that could be found in church and military archives. In addition, I consulted many journals and publications by clergymen. This allowed me to get close to military practice and it is possible to follow clergymen on a daily basis in what they did and said during the war years.’
No public criticism
De Jager's research shows that military clergy were an important part of the Dutch armed forces. At the risk of their lives, they accompanied soldiers on patrols and in assault operations. In the process, they witnessed extreme violence, burning kampongs, torture and executions. However, this did not lead to public criticism.
Divine protection
De Jager: ‘Military clerics interpreted the war in religious terms: they saw it as a battle between good and evil, in which the Dutch army fought under divine protection. Their war experiences strengthened their rejection of Indonesian nationalism. In practice, they were largely loyal to the Dutch troops; no public criticism of extreme Dutch violence was heard from the clergy. At the front, some clerics tried to prevent extreme violence, but the majority remained silent.’
Source photo: Nationaal Archief/Spaarnestad
The research will be published in book form under the title Oorlog zonder genade by publisher Boom.