The First Aceh Expedition, was a military campaign undertaken by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) against the sultanate of Aceh in the north of Sumatra in 1873. The expedition was launched as a punitive measure by the Dutch colonial authorities in response to perceived challenges to their control over the region and Aceh's resistance to Dutch interference in its affairs.
The campaign resulted in a Aceh victory. However, it was costly for both sides, with significant loss of life on both sides and extensive destruction of Aceh's infrastructure and economy.
[Saleh, I. A., ''The Dutch-Indonesian Aceh War (1873-1904): The Dutch Perspective'', Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science, 9(1), 1-23]
Early in 1873, the American Consul in Singapore had discussions with an Acehnese emissary about a possible Acehnese-American treaty, which the Dutch saw as justification for intervention. In March 1873, the Dutch bombed the Acehnese capital
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh (; , Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of 35 metres. The city covers an area of and had a population of 223,446 peopl ...
(Kutaraja) and in April they landed 3,000 troops led by
Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler Johan may refer to:
* Johan (given name)
* ''Johan'' (1921 film), a Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller
* Johan (2005 film), a Dutch romantic comedy film
* Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group
** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group
* Joh ...
. Having misjudged their Acehnese opposition, the Dutch were forced to withdraw losing Köhler and eighty men. They then established a blockade and Acehnese troops (estimates of whom range from 10,000 to 100,000) prepared for battle.
This was followed by the
Second Aceh Expedition in late 1873.
See also
*
History of Indonesia
The history of Indonesia has been shaped by its geographic position, natural resources, a series of human migrations and contacts, wars and conquests, as well as by trade, economics and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,000 ...
*
Second Aceh Expedition
References
Sources
*
Aceh War
Conflicts in 1873
Dutch conquest of Indonesia
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