"Diponegoro" by Lithograph by C. C. A. Last in 1835 to an original pencil drawing by A. J. Bik from 1830 - http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Overview: The Java War 1825-1830
The 1825-1830 Java War was a large uprising against Dutch Colonial rule, led by Prince Diponegoro, a member of the royal family of Yogyakarta. Diponegoro had wide appeal and the outbreak of war led to a sudden outburst of popular violence against the Dutch in the countryside. The hated coffee plantations were attacked and soon followed by assaults on land tax posts, tollgates, and the houses of European land tax inspectors and estate overseers. The resident Chinese community who had been blamed for operating the tollgates were also targeted for revenge. Many of them were forced to flee for their lives. Despite, these early Javanese successes the Dutch would regroup, change their tactics to counter Javanese guerrilla warfare, and gradually tighten their hold on the island. By 1830, the war was all but over and Diponegoro was arrested while discussing peace negotiations with the Dutch. He would spend the rest of his life in exile. The memory of the Java War would live on, and in the 20th Century Diponegoro was later declared a nationalist hero by the new Indonesian republic.
Why were the Dutch in trouble at the start of the Java War?
The Dutch were unprepared for the sheer amount of violence unleashed. Indeed, the Dutch representatives in Yogya who had been partly responsible for the outbreak of the war were so inept that they did not communicate to the Dutch capital in Batavia the full size of Diponegoro’s forces or the strength of his support across social groups. This meant that the Dutch administration took months to realize the full might of their enemy and even longer in coming to an understanding of how to counteract Javanese guerilla warfare tactics.
Why were the Javanese successful at first against the Dutch?
Diponegoro’s forces made full use of their superior local knowledge to achieve many early victories. Villagers were ordered to cut down trees to block roads as well as burn down the wooden bridges and dig up road surfaces to prevent Dutch forces counterattacking. Often roads were covered with sharpened bamboo stakes. The aim was to disrupt Dutch communications and stop them bringing in reinforcements. Javanese military planning was also very sophisticated. Diponegoro used ferry boats to supply his forces. His contacts in the underworld also meant that he was helped by bandit communities who controlled the key river crossing points. The Javanese forces were also able to use modern weapons. They had firearms and used cannon they had taken from the Dutch. Crucially, they were able to fight the war on their terms so rather than get drawn into set piece battles with the Dutch they fought a guerrilla war, which allowed them to fight the war they way they wanted.
How did the Dutch recover and begin to win?
The Dutch appointed a skilled and adaptable commander, De Kock. He was flexible and able to take ideas from his subordinates and then adapt them to his overall strategy. One example of his leadership skill was how he adopted the benteng idea (suggested by a lower ranking officer) which was essentially a system of small fortified camps close enough to each other to support each other if under attack. These allowed the Dutch mobile columns to gradually control more and more of the countryside. This in turn isolated Diponegoro's forces and deprived him of the local support he needed to keep fighting. The Dutch were also very clever in offering amnesties and rewards to those of Diponegoro's supporters who surrendered to them, and this encouraged many to stop fighting for Diponegoro. Interestingly, the Dutch also offered a large reward for Diponegoro either dead or alive (if dead his severed head had to be presented) but such was the personal loyalty felt towards Diponegoro no-one betrayed him.
How did the war finally end?
After months in hiding, and on the run, Diponegoro agreed to peace talks with the Dutch in 1830, but after some negotiations he was arrested and soon exiled out of Java. The Dutch administration made sure that he was never allowed to return to Java and Diponegoro died in exile at Makassar.