Imperialism and Morality: Indonesia, Suriname, the Caribbean, the Netherlands and the Colonial Administration of A.W.F. Idenburg, 1901-1935

Title: 'Imperialism and Morality: Indonesia, Suriname, the Caribbean, the Netherlands and the Colonial Administration of A.W.F. Idenburg, 1901-1935' In Dutch colonial historiography, the period from 1901 to World War II is known as the era of the Dutch ethical imperialism. It was a period where the Netherlands, like other European colonial powers, attempted to present its colonial policy as a social and economic emancipation programme. This meant that the Netherlands wanted to pursue economic growth, social emancipation, and cultural elevation in its colonies of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), Suriname, and the islands in the Dutch Caribbean. While this ethical imperialist thinking had emerged in the nineteenth century, it was not until 1901 that it was turned into policy by the government of Abraham Kuyper (The Kuyper Cabinet, 1901-1905). One member of this government, Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg (1861-1935) would come to embody the Dutch ethical colonial policy. Despite having served as the minister for Colonial Affairs in three cabinets and held the positions of Governor-General of Suriname and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, and therefore being a highly influential figure in Dutch colonial policy, Idenburg’s policy has never been analysed systematically in the historiography of Dutch imperialism. This is a gap that this doctoral thesis aims to fill. This doctoral thesis revolves around the question of how the Netherlands, and Idenburg in particular, was able to pursue a policy of ethical imperialism against a backdrop of changing colonial relations and geopolitical developments. To what extent was Idenburg able to play a decisive role in the Dutch colonial policy? It is divided into three parts that are in line with the angles worked out by the nineteenth-century French political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville in his liberal-conservative world view, (and as interpreted by the Dutch Anti-Revolutionary leaders G. Groen van Prinsterer and Abraham Kuyper): social imperialism, culture and identity politics, and the workings of democracy. The three parts are: I: Civilisation and Conflict; II: Identity and Nation-building; III: Representation and Revolution. The main conclusion of this study is that the dialectical approach to ethical policy as shaped by Idenburg accelerated the emancipation and decolonisation of the Dutch colonial empire. By adopting Idenburg’s policy, the Netherlands (unknowingly) created ideal conditions for the independence of Indonesia and Suriname that would be proclaimed much later. Idenburg turned out to be unable to make the ethical element prevail over the power politics element of ethical imperialism. The ambivalence of ethical imperialism – a complex paradox for many historians - can be explained by the Tocquevilian liberal-conservative interpretation of Idenburg’s ethical policy. In his policy Idenburg was seeking for freedom of religion, cultural diversity and pluralism; at the same time, he highlighted the uniqueness and strength of his own European-Christian culture. On the one hand Idenburg feared political disruptions that developed towards a revolution, and at the same time Idenburg was actively committed to pursuit more democracy for the Indonesian people and persisted in the support of the social and political emancipation of the population, even if this resulted in an independent Indonesia or Suriname.