Page "Indonesian National Revolution" Paragraph 43

At midnight on 20 July 1947, the Dutch launched a major military offensive called Operatie Product, with the intent of conquering the Republic.

Claiming violations of the Linggajati Agreement, the Dutch described the campaign as Politionele acties (' police actions ') to restore law and order.

This used to be the task of the KNIL.

However, at the time the majority of the Dutch troops in Indonesia belonged to the Royal Netherlands Army.

Soon after the end of World War II, 25, 000 volunteers ( among them 5, 000 marines ) had been sent overseas.

They were later followed by larger numbers of conscripts from the Netherlands.

In the offensive, Dutch forces drove Republican troops out of parts of Sumatra, and East and West Java.

The Republicans were confined to the Yogyakarta region of Java.

To maintain their force in Java, now numbering 100, 000 troops, the Dutch gained control of lucrative Sumatran plantations, and oil and coal installations, and in Java, control of all deep water ports.