Nationalism movement

In 1905 the first nationalist movement, the Islamic Trade Union was formed and was followed in 1908 by the nationalist movements that followed, Budi Utomo. The Dutch responded after World War with repressive measures. Nationalist leaders came from small groups consisting of young professionals and students, which some of them have been educated in the Netherlands. Many of those who were imprisoned for political activities, including Indonesia's first president, Sukarno.

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Colonization of the Dutch government

After the VOC went bankrupt in the late 18th century and after a short British rule under Thomas Stamford Raffles, the Dutch government took over ownership of the VOC in the year 1816. A successful rebellion was crushed in Java Java War in 1825-1830. After the year 1830 the compulsory system, known as cultuurstelsel in Dutch began to be applied. In this system, the residents were forced to plant the results of the plantation into the world market demand at the time, like tea, coffee etc.. Yield was then exported to foreign countries. These systems bring great wealth to the executive - both the Dutch and the Indonesian. This cultivation system is a government monopoly and was abolished in that time more freely after 1870.

In 1901 the Dutch adopted what they called the Ethical Policy (Dutch: a political Ethische), which included greater investment in education for indigenous people, and little political change. Under the governor-generals J.B. van Heutsz Dutch East Indies government to extend direct colonial rule throughout the Dutch East Indies, and thereby establish the foundation for the current state of Indonesia.

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Colonization VOC

Starting in 1602 the Netherlands gradually became the ruler of what is now Indonesian territory, by exploiting divisions among the small kingdoms that had replaced Majapahit. The only one not affected is of Portuguese Timor, which remains controlled by Portugal until 1975 when integrated into Indonesian province called East Timor. The Dutch controlled Indonesia for nearly 350 years, except for a short period in which a small part of Indonesia ruled Britain after the Anglo-Dutch Java War and the period of Japanese occupation during World War II. When colonizing Indonesia, Netherlands East Indies Netherlands developed into one of the world's richest colonial power. 350 years of Dutch colonial rule for some people is a myth because the newly conquered territory of Aceh after the Netherlands close to bankruptcy.
VOC logo

In the 17th century the Dutch East Indies and 18 are not controlled directly by the Dutch government but by a trading company called the Dutch East Indies Company (Dutch: Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC). VOC has been given monopoly rights to trade and colonial activities in the area by the Dutch Parliament in 1602. Headquarters are in Batavia, now Jakarta.

VOC main purpose was to defend the monopoly of the spice trade in the archipelago. This is done through the use and threat of violence against the population on the island spice, and on people of non-Dutch who tried to trade with their resident. For example, when the population of the Banda Islands continued to sell seeds of nutmeg to the British merchants, the Dutch troops to kill or deport almost the entire population and then populating the islands with the servants or slaves who worked in the nutmeg plantations.

VOC became involved in the internal politics of Java at this time, and fought in several wars involving the leaders of Mataram and Banten.

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