The Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, was a prized possession of the Dutch for centuries. How they got it, and held on to it, is a story of colonization, violence, and diplomacy.
The Dutch East Indies was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. At the time, it was an uninhabited region with valuable spices. The Portuguese tried to claim it, but the Dutch, who were expanding their empire at the time, also claimed it. The two nations …