KNIL

KNIL stands for Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. It was the military force of the Dutch colonial government in the Dutch East Indies from its formal establishment in 1830 until its dissolution in 1950. The KNIL defended colonial interests, maintained internal order, and supported Dutch administration across the archipelago that is now Indonesia. The force combined European regulars with locally recruited troops and auxiliaries, organized into infantry, artillery, engineers, and support services, under the command of the colonial government through the Dutch War Ministry and, later, the Department of Colonies.

The KNIL played a central role in suppressing uprisings such as the long Aceh War and other colonial campaigns, and in policing and gendarmerie tasks throughout the archipelago. During World War II, it fought against Japan in the Pacific theater; after the Japanese surrender, it faced Indonesian nationalist forces during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949).

With the transfer of sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to the Indonesian Republic, the KNIL was dissolved in 1950. Most European personnel and many civilian staff left the archipelago, and the remaining troops were either repatriated to the Netherlands or integrated into the Indonesian armed forces. The dissolution marked the end of a military institution that had formed the backbone of Dutch colonial rule for more than a century.